House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said President Trump had a “meltdown” in a White House meeting Wednesday after Democrats challenged his reasons for withdrawing troops from Syria.
Trump told Democrats he was removing dozens of U.S. military personnel from Syria’s eastern border because he promised 2016 voters he would bring home the troops.
Pelosi then challenged Trump, pointing out that he just deployed 1,500 troops to Saudi Arabia.
“My question to him was, is Saudi Arabia home? It just didn’t add up,” said the California Democrat, adding, “It caused the president to have a meltdown.”
Pelosi said Trump told her the Saudis “are paying for it.”
Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York abruptly left the White House meeting and told reporters waiting outside that Trump treated Pelosi disrespectfully and called her a “third-rate politician.”
Republicans and Democrats have criticized Trump for moving troops away from the Syrian border, where Turkey is now launching an offensive and ISIS prisoners are held.
Democrats and Republicans back a bill sanctioning Turkey for the invasion. The House passed a sanctions bill on Wednesday, but the Senate appears poised to wait for Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to impose sanctions.
Pelosi offered other tidbits about the meeting and said Trump told the group, “I don’t know who asked for this meeting. I didn’t.”
