Trump's Government Shutdown Meeting Will Be Held In The Situation Room, So That's Ominous
It's officially a new year, but unfortunately not much has changed since December 2018. The partial government shutdown, which kicked off onDec. 22, 2018, is still underway, and at this point most people want it to be over. So, in order to possibly find a solution to this, a compromise must be made. However, Donald Trump's meeting with congressional leaders about the shutdown is happening in a... pretty loaded place. Who knows how this will pan out.
On Wednesday, Jan. 2, The Hill reported that President Trump plans to hold a shutdown meeting with leaders from Capitol Hill the same day in the Situation Room. Elite Daily reached out to the White House for comment about this report, but did not hear back in time for publication. During the meeting, Trump will reportedly discuss his concerns about the southern border and the importance of border security. Trump's insistence on receiving $5 billion to fund a U.S.-Mexico border wall has been one of the main reasons behind the partial government shutdown, as he and House members have yet to come to an agreement on the funds.
So, as we enter day 11 of the shutdown, it's reassuring to see that a meeting is in the works. However, the fact that it's taking place in the White House's Situation Room is a bit unnerving. How so? Well, the Trump administration definitely hasn't had the best luck in past Situation Room meetings, especially after former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman recorded (and released) alleged audio of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly firing her in that very room in August 2018.
On the other hand, Trump holding the meeting in the Situation Room means that there probably won't be a do-over of the infamous Oval Office meeting between him, Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Vice President Mike Pence. In case you missed it, the meeting was basically a televised sparring match between Trump and the Democratic leaders over the border wall, in which all three argued relentlessly and no solution was found.
For those of you wondering: what is the Situation Room? Here's a quick rundown. Basically, this space is one of the most important conference rooms within the White House, and only the uppermost important topics are discussed and seen between those walls. Before entering the room, everyone has to forfeit their phones to ensure top security, which is why Omarosa sneaking in a recorder was such a huge deal. So, the fact that Trump plans to hold a meeting to discuss the shutdown in a no-tech-allowed room might actually be a solid plan. (As long as everyone follows the rules, that is.)
At first, some might have thought this partial government shutdown was a temporary problem that would be fixed right away. However, as the government continues to be shut down nearly two weeks later, clearly this problem isn't going to be resolved as easily as we'd hoped. So, Trump will meet with both Democrats and Republicans to discuss future possibilities. Those leaders who have reportedly RSVP'd "yes" to the meeting include top Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, as well as GOP members Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise, just to name a few.
However, if Trump and these congressional leaders can't come to a decision soon, then Democrats might be taking matters into their own hands, as Democrats plan to vote to reopen the government when they take over the House on Jan. 3. So, even if this conversation with Trump doesn't go over well, there's good chance that there might be a Plan B. However, the likelihood that this plan is able to pass through the Republican-controlled Senate or get approved by Trump is still highly unlikely.
As 2019 continues to move along, let's hope some bipartisan change will actually be made. In the meantime, if I were the Trump administration, I would be banning phones as if it was a Dave Chapelle show. Better safe than viral.
