President Trump said Thursday he would “love” to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus.
April Ryan, the Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, asked the president during a White House press conference if he will include the Congressional Black Caucus as he crafts his “urban agenda, inner city agenda.”
“Well I would. I tell you what: Do you want to set up the meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?” Trump asked.
“No, no, no,” Ryan said, “I’m just a reporter. I know some of them, I’m sure they’re watching right now.”
Trump continued: “Set up the meeting. Go set up the meeting. I would love to meet with the black caucus. I think it’s great, the Congressional Black Caucus, I think it’s great.”
The president complained about a meeting between him and Maryland Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings not happening.
“I actually thought I had a meeting with Congressman Cummings and he was all excited,” Trump said.
That meeting never occurred, Trump said. “He probably was told by Schumer or somebody like that, some other lightweight, he was probably told — he was probably told, don’t meet with Trump. It’s bad politics. And that’s part of the problem in this country.”
Cummings reacted after the press conference, suggesting he hasn’t met with Trump yet because he wanted to finalize his proposal to lower drug prices first. “I have no idea why President Trump would make up a story about me like he did today. Of course, Senator Schumer never told me to skip a meeting with the president.”
