During a meeting with Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday, President Donald Trump reportedly said that he can’t accept Democrat’s deal that would re-open the government.

The reason? According to a source, POTUS does not want to look “foolish.”

After the meeting, Schumer told reporters that he asked Trump directly for a reason.

“We asked him to give us one good reason. I asked him directly, I said, Mr. President, give me one good reason why you should continue your shutdown of the eight Cabinet departments while we are debating our differences on homeland security,” Schumer said, according to CBS. “He could not give a good answer. So, we would hope that they would reconsider and would support the very bills that passed the Senate.”

Yet, according to the New York Times’ Julie Davis, the real reason was that Trump didn’t want to look foolish.

“At WH, Schumer said publicly that he asked Trump point-blank in the Sit Rm today for 1 good reason not to accept bill reopening all gov agencies other than DHS. Source familiar says POTUS responded: ‘I would look foolish if I did that,'” she tweeted out.

At WH, Schumer said publicly that he asked Trump point-blank in the Sit Rm today for 1 good reason not to accept bill reopening all gov agencies other than DHS. Source familiar says POTUS responded: "I would look foolish if I did that." — Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) January 2, 2019

CNN’s Phil Mattingly also reported that Trump did not want to look foolish and said so when Schumer pressed him for a third time for a reason.

Speaking with Wolf Blitzer Wednesday evening, Mattingly reported this:

“Before she [DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen] could get into her presentation, Nancy Pelosi, the soon-to-be Speaker of the House interrupted and asked for Democrats to have the opportunity to present their proposal. After presenting their proposal, Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, asked the president if he had any good reason, one good reason to oppose that. The president didn’t answer. Schumer later asked again. The president again didn’t answer. A person familiar says a third time when Schumer asked the question, Trump responded simply, ‘I would look foolish if I did that.’ So basically, Wolf, the takeaway coming out of the meeting is things are not any closer to a resolution.”

As of Wednesday, Trump has made it clear he won’t accept the Democrats’ offer to re-open the government. He has asked lawmakers back to the White House on Friday to talk some more.

Watch more above, via CNN.

[image via screengrab]

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