Trump ends nomination talks after intense negotiations in the Senate collapsed late Saturday night. Lawmakers quickly left Washington without a deal. Talks originally aimed to confirm around 60 of President Trump’s pending nominees. Those nominees had cleared committee with bipartisan support.
However, President Donald Trump abruptly halted discussions through a Truth Social post. He accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of demanding over $1 billion for a small group of confirmations. Trump called the demand outrageous and politically motivated. He told Republicans to reject any offer and return home for recess.
In the post, Trump urged lawmakers to explain the situation to their voters. He reminded Republicans to promote their record and leadership. Trump wrote, “Tell them what a great job we are doing.” He then closed with his usual slogan: “Make America Great Again!”
Only seven nominees were confirmed before lawmakers departed. Democrats framed the situation differently. Schumer blamed Trump for abandoning a near-final agreement. He stood beside a printed copy of Trump’s post and called the move a “tantrum.”
Schumer said he and Senate Republican Whip John Thune had exchanged several realistic proposals. Both sides believed they were close to a deal. Democrats offered to confirm non-controversial nominees. In exchange, they wanted the White House to release frozen aid funding and avoid future clawbacks.
Senator Markwayne Mullin pushed back on Schumer’s claims. He said Schumer kept raising demands at the last minute. According to Mullin, three different deals were made that night alone. He added that the White House stayed involved throughout the entire process.
In addition, Mullin claimed the Democrats never truly wanted a deal. He said their strategy was to blame Trump after talks broke down. Now that Trump ends nomination talks, Republicans won’t pursue recess appointments during the break. But they may push for a Senate rule change in September.
Thune agreed that both sides kept adjusting terms. But they never found common ground. Democrats insisted their proposal never changed. They said Republicans added more controversial picks late in the process.
Schumer warned against rewriting Senate rules and urged Republicans to stop blindly following Trump. He stressed the need for cooperation. Yet as Trump ends nomination talks, the Senate leaves unresolved and tensions remain high heading into September.
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