Trump Cancels Meeting with Democratic Leaders

President Trump abruptly canceled a planned Thursday meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, saying their demands were "unserious and ridiculous" and that no meeting "could possibly be productive," a message he posted on Truth Social less than 24 hours after the session was confirmed. The cancellation greatly raises the risk of a partial government shutdown when funding lapses at the end of September and could lead to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The impasse centers on dueling stopgap bills: Democrats want a short-term continuing resolution that would extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits and other health protections, while Republicans favor a "clean" CR through Nov. 21 and oppose attaching health-care or other policy riders. Democrats blamed Trump and GOP leaders for courting a shutdown and warned that letting subsidies lapse could sharply raise ACA premiums, while Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans accused Democrats of making partisan demands. With many lawmakers away for Rosh Hashanah and the Senate not due back until Sept. 29, the cancellation tightens an already narrow window to reach a bipartisan deal unless talks are revived.