‘Why Are They Always So Loyal?’ Trump Was Convinced That Dems Would Cave

Presumptive Speaker, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and US President Donald Trump argue before a meeting at the White House December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (... Presumptive Speaker, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and US President Donald Trump argue before a meeting at the White House December 11, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

President Donald Trump saw his convictions about loyalty upended over the shutdown, harboring shock that Democrats didn’t come over to his side and resentment that he couldn’t keep his own house in order.

According to a Friday Washington Post report, Trump had been operating under the belief that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) would be unable to keep her caucus in line as the shutdown progressed.

“Why are they always so loyal?” he reportedly complained in a staff meeting.

Trump also miscalculated the will of his own party, and voiced belated frustration with former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) for having “screwed him” by not securing wall funding when Republicans controlled all branches before he’d “gone fishing.”

Ultimately, the defection of six Republican senators who voted for the Democratic funding bill put Trump over the edge.

Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) dropped the bomb that his members were getting unruly; Trump eventually agreed that the shutdown had to end.

Latest News
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: