Trump, his party: an American odd couple
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[September 07, 2017]
By Steve Holland and Richard Cowan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President
Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One on Wednesday, he went
out of his way to praise Democratic congressional leaders he had met
earlier at the White House. He failed to mention Mitch McConnell or Paul
Ryan, the two leaders of his own Republican party who also took part.
It could have been a snub or mere oversight - the White House did not
say immediately - but in the context of recent events, it was a reminder
of Trump's lingering frustration with Republicans who control Congress,
even as he takes his first steps with Democrats to break a congressional
gridlock.
Trump, who has branded Democrats as obstructionists, on Wednesday
embraced a proposal from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and his
counterpart in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, for a
three-month extension of the U.S. debt ceiling, rejecting a Republican
plan for a longer extension.
By contrast, at a meeting on Tuesday with McConnell, the Senate majority
leader, and Ryan, speaker of the House of Representatives, both fellow
Republicans, there was little personal interaction in the presence of
reporters.
A close Trump associate said that Trump, a 71-year-old brash former
reality TV star who had never held public office before he entered the
White House in January, had yet to comprehend the need to improve his
relationship with McConnell, a 75-year-old dour legislative tactician
with more than 30 years in the U.S. Senate.
His legislative priorities hanging in the balance, Trump is under
pressure to improve ties with McConnell and salvage what he can of an
increasingly jeopardized agenda that includes a healthcare overhaul,
immigration, infrastructure and tax reform.
“You want to go blow up the majority leader, that’s your prerogative,
but it doesn’t get your agenda done. If you want to get things done, you
have to make nice to him,” the source said.
A senior White House official said on Wednesday that Trump and McConnell
had a "great working relationship" and the president respected his grasp
of Senate rules and procedures. But aides say Trump privately has
expressed annoyance at the slow pace of legislative action on his
priorities and blames his own party, especially McConnell, for the
failure.
'SHOULD BE TRUMP'S BIGGEST ASSET'
A Republican close to the White House said what Trump "doesn't
understand is he needs Mitch McConnell more than anyone else in this
town, because he runs the Senate and sets the agenda."
"McConnell is a master of the Senate and he could and should be Trump's
biggest asset," the Republican said.
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President Donald Trump meets with Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell (2nd L), U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (2nd
R), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (R) and other congressional
leaders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S.,
September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
Trump spent part of recent months feuding with McConnell. After a
healthcare overhaul effort collapsed in the Senate in July, Trump
and McConnell traded accusations.
McConnell said in his home state of Kentucky that Trump had
"excessive expectations" of how much could get through Congress in a
short period of time and suggested Trump was inexperienced.
Clearly annoyed, Trump questioned McConnell's competence.
"Senator Mitch McConnell said I had 'excessive expectations,' but I
don't think so. After 7 years of hearing Repeal & Replace, why not
done?" Trump tweeted.
A source familiar with Trump's thinking said the president had a lot
of respect for McConnell. "He just doesn’t like to be criticized and
he viewed McConnell's comments as demeaning," the source said.
An associate of McConnell said McConnell considered the usual drama
surrounding Trump to be “totally irrelevant” to doing business with
him and that from a “practical standpoint” all McConnell wanted to
do was get work done.
“He’s pretty drama free,” said the associate. “I have yet to
encounter a single situation where he allows his personal feeling or
animosity or any kind of emotional response affect the way he does
business.”
McConnell, whose wife, Elaine Chao, is Trump's transportation
secretary, has said he has no hard feelings after Trump's criticism
of him.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we are committed to
advancing our shared agenda together and anyone who suggests
otherwise is clearly not part of the conversation," McConnell had
said.
(Additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton; Editing by
Howard Goller)
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