“Chuck and Nancy” are bailing.

After President Donald Trump Tweeted Tuesday morning about a White House meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the two leading democrats in Congress issued a joint statement announcing that they are declining Trump’s invite — as they view the meeting as a sham.

“Rather than going to the White House for a show meeting that won’t result in an agreement, we’ve asked [Senate Majority] Leader [Mitch] McConnell [R-KY] and Speaker [of the House Paul] Ryan [R-WI] to meet this afternoon,” Schumer and Pelosi said in the statement.

Oh. Chuck & Nancy say thanks, but no thanks, to WH meeting today with Trump: pic.twitter.com/ffs4nBt3Rp — Lisa Mascaro (@LisaMascaro) November 28, 2017

This move by the leading Democrats is all but certain to increase tensions with the White House with a government shutdown looming.

Trump has not yet responded to the snub. We will be on the lookout for his inevitable reply, and update this post as necessary.

UPDATE 12:44 p.m. ET — The White House has responded, via statement from Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

“The President’s invitation to the Democrat leaders still stands and he encourages them to put aside their pettiness, stop the political grandstanding, show up and get to work,” Sanders said.

Sarah Sanders responds to “Chuck and Nancy” “The President’s invitation to the Democrat leaders still stands and he encourages them to put aside their pettiness, stop the political grandstanding, show up and get to work." — Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) November 28, 2017

[image via screengrab]

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