Congressional Quarterly/ZUMA
Following an especially tumultuous day in the Trump White House, the president has twice attempted to refute the narrative that he blew up at top Democrats after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier on Wednesday publicly accused him of engaging in a “cover-up.”
“I was extremely calm,” Trump insisted in a tweet. He also claimed, without evidence, that Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and the media had conspired to fabricate the confrontation.
But Pelosi on Thursday went even further to underscore how alarming the president’s behavior had been when he abruptly stormed out of a planned meeting to discuss infrastructure. “I pray for the president of the United States,” she told reporters at her weekly press conference. “I wish that his family or his administration or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.”
There has been no response as of yet from the president, his family, his administration, or his staff to her remarks, but they are all but certain to enrage Trump.
The intense back-and-forth comes amid increasing calls among Democrats and one Republican congressman to begin impeachment proceedings, as the Trump administration continues to defy congressional subpoenas. After discussing the issue with her caucus on Wednesday, however, Pelosi emerged steadfast in her determination to avoid impeachment for as long as possible.
In her press conference Thursday, she explained that this was precisely what had sparked Trump’s fury, because, the “White House is just crying out for impeachment,” she said. Pelosi continued, adding that her caucus was more united than media reports had indicated. “That’s what disappointed him yesterday because he didn’t see this rush to impeachment.”
The House Speaker has warned against the process, arguing that it would be too divisive for the country and only rally Trump’s base.
Pelosi: “I pray for the president of the United States. I wish that his family or his administration or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country.” https://t.co/LAubc14zAM pic.twitter.com/gvNJV8dMTr
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) May 23, 2019
