Trump Cancels Meeting With Schumer, Jeffries on Shutdown Talks

The president said the Democrats’ demands were ‘unserious and ridiculous.’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (L) listens as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 22, 2025. Nathan Howard/File Photo/Reuters

President Donald Trump on Tuesday canceled a planned White House meeting with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), less than 24 hours after the session was announced.

In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Democrats of making “unserious and ridiculous” demands in return for their votes to keep the government open, adding that “no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive.”

“They are threatening to shut down the Government of the United States unless they can have over $1 Trillion Dollars in new spending to continue free healthcare for Illegal Aliens (A monumental cost!), force Taxpayers to fund Transgender surgery for minors, have dead people on the Medicaid roles, allow Illegal Alien Criminals to steal Billions of Dollars in American Taxpayer Benefits, try to force our Country to again open our Borders to Criminals and to the World, allow men to play in women’s sports, and essentially create Transgender operations for everybody,” he wrote.

The meeting, confirmed by the White House on Monday, was expected to focus on efforts to prevent a shutdown at the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Schumer and Jeffries had said they planned to use the session to emphasize rising costs and what they called a “Republican health care crisis,” warning that a lack of bipartisan talks would lead to a “Republican-caused shutdown.”

The talks were canceled amid a standoff over dueling stopgap spending measures. Democrats last week proposed a continuing resolution through Oct. 31 that would permanently extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, reverse certain health care provisions in Republican-backed law, and add new oversight of executive spending. Republicans are pushing a longer measure through Nov. 21 that they describe as a clean extension of current funding levels, with limited exceptions for nutrition programs, agriculture reporting, and additional security money.

Trump, who had urged Republicans to support their stopgap plan, said Tuesday he would be willing to meet with Schumer and Jeffries only if they “get serious about the future of our Nation.”

Democrats responded swiftly. The Democratic National Committee said Trump had “backed out of negotiations with Democrats” and greenlit an impending government shutdown. DNC Chair Ken Martin said Trump was intent on “raising health care costs for our nation’s families.”

Jeffries told House Democrats in a “Dear Colleague” letter that Trump had “chickened out and cancelled the meeting,” and said House Republicans’ canceling votes next week despite the Sept. 30 deadline was “the height of irresponsibility.” He said Democrats will reconvene in Washington on Sept. 29 to prepare for a possible lapse in funding.

On X, Schumer wrote, “Happy New Year, Mr. President,” referencing the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah, which is this week. “When you’re finished ranting, we can sit down and discuss health care.”

In a follow-up post, Schumer posted news clips of Trump in 2013 speaking on that year’s government shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Oct. 17.

“Trump in 2013 on how to avoid a shutdown: ‘You have to get everyone in a room. You have to be a leader,’” he wrote. “Trump today: Cancels meeting with Democratic Leaders.”

Jeffries also responded on X: “Donald Trump just cancelled a high stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and Leader Schumer. The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America.”

He followed up with a second post: “Donald Trump has never used my name during his presidency. Now he is afraid to meet to discuss the Republican healthcare crisis and pending government shutdown. Why is that? Sincerely, Hakeem Sekou Jeffries.”

Republicans pushed back, blaming Democrats for the stalemate. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote on X that the House GOP had already passed a “clean, nonpartisan short-term government funding bill,” and accused Democrats of demanding a “massive $1.5 trillion spending hike.”

He said their proposals included reinstating “free health care for illegal aliens” and funding for “liberal news outlets,” calling the standoff “the DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN.”

“Keeping our government open and working for the American people is not a partisan issue – and this clean, short-term funding extension reflects that,” House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said on Sept. 16. “As we continue advancing FY26 conference negotiations, this measure prevents the chaos of a shutdown and allows us to stay focused on restoring regular order. It protects the real progress already made on appropriations, preserves stability for families and communities, and strengthens our position to complete the FY26 process responsibly.” 

The GOP bill carries items that would keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children at current funding levels to provide food assistance and extend the Livestock Mandatory Reporting program during the CR. It provides $30 million for executive-branch protective services and $30 million for member security.

With less than a week before the deadline, Congress remains deadlocked, and no talks between Trump and Democratic leaders are scheduled.