Saturday 17 October 2020

Trump and Pelosi no speaky

Here's an interesting fact that probably sums up Washington politics pretty well right now: Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives and third in line to the throne (White House) hasn't spoken to Donald Trump for a year. A whole year! Not since she stormed out of a meeting at the White House across the table from the president when she waved her finger at him. That's a helluva thing. Ok, she still talks to members of Trump's cabinet, especially Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary. But she doesn't see the point in talking to the president. They really hate each other that much? Yes, they do. So Trump isn't bothered. But it means the chances of getting a Save-America anti-Covid keep-everyone-in-jobs bill through Congress before the year is out is unlikely, to put it mildly. To get these special deals sorted out it needs the president and the Speaker to agree the details. But Trump hates the Pelosi package because it's full of stuff to help Democratic states and regions and won't play ball. And she says she won't agree to any Trump half measures and demands he signs up for the lot. He won't, so she won't and that's without even talking to each other. Washington politics can sometimes get so bogged down in personalities and selfish partisan wish-lists that it's a miracle anything gets done. Every president of course discovers that but Trump more than most. Far more.

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