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President Trump abruptly cancelled a planned Thursday meeting at the White House with top congressional Democratic leaders, increasing the chances of a government shutdown on Oct. 1.

Shortly after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claimed victory in a joint statement for securing the meeting on Tuesday morning, the president 

"After reviewing the details of the unserious and ridiculous demands being made by the Minority Radical Left Democrats in return for their Votes to keep our thriving Country open, I have decided that no meeting with their Congressional Leaders could possibly be productive," the president wrote.

He argued that the items in the Democrats' alternative funding proposal like rolling back the Medicaid changes enacted in the president's signature tax bill and extending Affordable Care Act tax credits were nonstarters. "There are consequences to losing Elections but, based on their letter to me, the Democrats haven't figured that out yet," Trump wrote.

 saying "Trump Always Chickens Out," a reference to the "TACO" slogan that some popularized around the president's shifting positions on imposing tariffs.

"Our position is not complicated: cancel the cuts, lower the costs, save health care," Jeffries added at a press conference on Tuesday in New York.

As a sign the messaging war is only starting about who is to blame in the event of a shutdown next week, Jeffries added, "the extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America."

Schumer said in a statement that the president was "running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there." He said the president would "rather throw a tantrum than do his job."

Schumer argued, "Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown."

 extending current funding levels through Nov. 21, but the Senate did not have the 60 votes needed to advance it. An alternative proposal from Democrats also failed. Both chambers are on recess this week, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated he will bring up a straight extension of funding levels on Sept. 29. House leaders cancelled planned votes for next Monday and Tuesday and the chamber isn't scheduled to return until late next week.

GOP leaders insist Democrats would bear the blame if there is any interruption in funding, and have dubbed the dynamic "the Schumer shutdown."

In a letter to House Democrats, Jeffries said he would hold a virtual meeting with members on Friday afternoon to talk about the next steps. He noted that House GOP leaders change the schedule for next week but that he scheduled a caucus meeting for all House Democrats on Monday evening. "Democrats will be in town and prepared to get the job done."

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Deirdre Walsh

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President Trump called off a planned Thursday meeting with top Hill Democrats to discuss a possible deal to avoid a shutdown. He called Democrats’ demands “unserious.” Democrats say he chickened out.

Trump cancels meeting with Democrats as prospects for shutdown increase

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