A7
THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, MAy 23, 2019
Trump demands end to Russia probes, walks out on Dems
By LISA MASCARO
and MARY CLARE
JALONICK
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
—
President Donald Trump
abruptly stalked out of a
meeting with congressio-
nal leaders Wednesday with
a flat declaration he would
no longer work with Dem-
ocrats unless they drop all
investigations in the after-
math of the special counsel’s
Trump-Russia report.
Democrats said the walk-
out seemed scripted. House
Speaker
Nancy
Pelosi
called it all “very, very, very
strange” and said she was
praying for Trump and the
nation.
After turning and leaving
the three-minute non-meet-
ing with the Democratic
leaders, scheduled for a dis-
cussion of U.S. infrastruc-
ture problems, Trump strode
to the Rose Garden where
aides had gathered report-
ers and TV cameras for
his demand that Congress
drop its investigations that
are increasingly leading to
talk of what he called the
“i-word” — impeachment.
Trump assailed Pelosi
in particular for her com-
ment earlier in the morn-
ing on Capitol Hill that she
believed the president was
engaged in a “cover up” of
the Russia probe.
Trump said, “I walked
into the room and I told
Leader
Schumer
and
Speaker Pelosi I want to do
infrastructure,” referring to
the top Democratic senator,
New York’s Chuck Schumer.
“But you know what we
can’t do it under these cir-
cumstances,” Trump said.
“So get these phony investi-
gations over.”
The president didn’t
shake anyone’s hands or take
a seat, but spent three min-
utes contending he had been
prepared to work on infra-
structure, trade and other
issue but now he couldn’t
because Pelosi said “some-
thing terrible,” according
to an administration official
and another person famil-
iar with what happened in
the room. Trump then left
before anyone else could
speak.
Pelosi said to those still in
the room — no Republican
lawmakers were there —
that she had known the pres-
ident was not serious about
infrastructure and would
find a way out, according to
another person familiar with
the meeting.
Back on Capitol Hill,
Pelosi said Trump “just
took a pass” on working
on national infrastructure
problems.
Pelosi,
flanked
by
Schumer and other House
and Senate leaders, said the
Democrats had gone to the
White House “to give this
president the opportunity to
have a signature infrastruc-
ture initiative.” She said she
would be praying for the
president.
Trump tweeted back:
“and Nancy, thank you so
much for your prayers. I
know you truly mean it.”
The meeting at the White
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Congressional Democrats react to a failed meeting with President Donald Trump on infrastructure. From left are House Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., Speaker
of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
‘NO OTHER PRESIdENT HAS REFuSEd TO WORK WITH
CONGRESS BECAuSE CONGRESS EXERCISEd ITS OVERSIGHT
ROLE ANd IT’S A SHAME THAT TRuMP IS PuTTING HIS FEELINGS
OVER GETTING THINGS dONE FOR THE COuNTRy.’
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon
House had been set weeks
ago, after Trump and the
Democratic leaders agreed
to talk further about a possi-
ble $2 trillion infrastructure
proposal. Trump was due to
provide the Democrats his
ideas on how to pay for it.
Schumer said when Trump
“was forced to say how he
would pay for it he had to
run away.”
Despite the sudden turn
of events, the outburst fol-
lowed a familiar script of
Trump convening leaders at
the White House only to try
to turn the tables and refocus
attention. He has stormed
out of previous sessions.
Earlier
Wednesday,
Pelosi told reporters after
a private meeting of House
Democrats that Trump is
“engaged in a cover up,”
even as she tried to tamp
down some Democrats’ rush
toward an impeachment
inquiry in their showdown
with the White House.
Pelosi and five of her
top investigative committee
leaders spoke with fellow
Democrats after an increas-
ing number called for the
beginning of an impeach-
ment inquiry following spe-
cial counsel Robert Muel-
ler’s investigation into
Russia election meddling
and contacts with the Trump
campaign.
Those Democrats say the
move would not necessar-
ily be aimed at removing the
president, but instead to bol-
ster their position in court as
Trump has broadly stone-
walled their investigations.
Some two dozen House
Democrats have signed on.
With her leadership team,
Pelosi, who has resisted
pressure to impeach, pointed
SEVEN؏DAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TODAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
rank-and-file
Democrats
toward the legal battles that
she said have already found
success in forcing Trump to
comply with investigations.
“We do believe it’s
important to follow the
facts,” Pelosi told report-
ers afterward. “We believe
that no one is above the
law, including the president
of the United States, and
we believe that the presi-
dent of the United States is
engaged in a cover-up — in
a cover-up.”
A growing number of
Democrats, incensed by
former White House coun-
sel Don McGahn’s defiance
Tuesday of a House pan-
el’s subpoena for testimony,
have confronted Pelosi and
pushed her and other lead-
ers to act.
Pelosi has said she
believes Trump is “goading”
Democrats into impeach-
ment as a political tactic.
And Trump appeared to rel-
ish the Democratic divi-
sion in a Wednesday tweet:
“The Democrats are get-
ting ZERO work done in
Congress.”
Democrats leaving the
meeting appeared to be tak-
ing Pelosi’s words into con-
sideration. Tennessee Rep.
Steve Cohen, who called for
the impeachment inquiry on
Tuesday, said he could see
both sides.
Of leaders’ reluctance,
Cohen said “it’s a political
concern rather than an actual
constitutional one.”
Rep. Katie Hill, a fresh-
man from a California swing
district, said she wants to let
court actions play out a bit,
and is undecided on starting
an impeachment inquiry.
The more Trump “defies
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MONDAY
us, the more that it’s becom-
ing an inevitability,” she
said. “But I don’t think that
the caucus as a whole is
there yet.”
Some Democratic lead-
ers, while backing Pelosi,
also are signaling that a
march to impeachment may
become inevitable.
“We are confronting what
might be the largest, broad-
est cover-up in American
history,” Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer told report-
ers Tuesday. If a House
inquiry “leads to other ave-
nues including impeach-
ment,” the Maryland Demo-
crat said, “so be it.”
But South Carolina
Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No.
3 Democrat in the House,
counseled caution. A major-
ity of Democrats would sup-
port impeachment, he said,
“just not now.” He told CNN
the House should follow a
methodical process to get
to the facts about Trump’s
actions.
Amid the impeachment
talk and despite Trump’s
pledge to stonewall, there
was one rate example of
detente between House
Democrats and the admin-
istration — intelligence
committee Chairman Adam
Schiff postponed a meet-
ing to enforce a subpoena
against the Justice Depart-
CLATSOP
POWER
EQUIPMENT , INC.
SALES • SERVICE • RENTALS
34912 HWY 101 BUS • ASTORIA
503-325-0792 • 1-800-220-0792
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
REGIONAL FORECAST
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Seattle
63 53
59 49
Sunny to partly Rain, mainly
cloudy
early
66 52
75 54
Partly sunny, a
shower
Lots of sun;
warmer
66 53
Low clouds
63 52
64 52
Clouds and sun
Episodes of
sunshine
Aberdeen
Olympia
63/52
75/53
Wenatchee
Tacoma
Moses
Lake
UNDER THE SKY
TODAY'S TIDES
Astoria through Tuesday
Tonight’s Sky: Corvus, the crow,
brightest stars make a four-sided
shape that resembles a sail.
Astoria / Port Docks
Temperatures
High/low ................................ 62/49
Normal high/low .................. 61/47
Record high .................. 86 in 1914
Record low .................... 36 in 1973
Precipitation
Tuesday ................................... 0.01”
Month to date ........................ 1.33”
Normal month to date ......... 2.33”
Year to date .......................... 21.68”
Normal year to date ........... 32.37”
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Time
High (ft.) Time Low (ft.)
4:16 a.m.
6:11 p.m.
7.8 11:31 a.m. -0.1
6.6 11:33 p.m. 3.4
Cape Disappointment
3:56 a.m.
5:51 p.m.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
Hammond
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today .................. 5:35 a.m.
Sunset tonight ............... 8:50 p.m.
Moonrise today ........... 12:40 a.m.
Moonset today ............... 9:43 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
4:07 a.m.
5:57 p.m.
Warrenton
4:11 a.m.
6:06 p.m.
Knappa
4:53 a.m.
6:48 p.m.
Depoe Bay
May 26 June 3 June 9 June 17
3:09 a.m.
5:07 p.m.
7.5 10:42 a.m. -0.4
6.2 10:48 p.m. 3.5
7.9 10:58 a.m. -0.4
6.7 11:06 p.m. 3.6
8.2 11:15 a.m. 0.0
7.0 11:17 p.m. 3.5
8.0 12:32 p.m. -0.1
6.9
none
7.7 10:14 a.m. -0.5
6.5 10:19 p.m. 3.7
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Dallas
Denver
Honolulu
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York City
Phoenix
San Francisco
Wash., DC
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
91/73/s
69/58/pc
79/56/pc
88/73/pc
47/36/sh
87/74/sh
89/75/pc
65/54/pc
88/76/s
74/63/c
78/61/s
69/54/pc
86/71/t
94/73/s
69/52/pc
81/56/t
88/71/sh
67/40/pc
88/75/sh
89/74/pc
71/55/pc
87/75/s
76/58/pc
88/65/s
67/53/pc
85/63/s
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy,
c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms,
r-rain, sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice.
74/48
Kennewick Walla Walla
78/55 Lewiston
85/57
79/53
Hermiston
The Dalles 84/58
Enterprise
Pendleton 67/42
77/54
80/57
La Grande
71/45
75/49
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi/Lo/W
Pullman
80/54
72/51
Salem
75/53
Yakima 83/55
Longview
63/53 Portland
77/53
Spokane
78/58
76/53
76/51
Astoria
ALMANAC
ment after the department
agreed to turn over a cache
of documents related to
Mueller’s report.
Schiff said the depart-
ment “will begin turning
over to the committee twelve
categories of counterintel-
ligence and foreign intelli-
gence materials as part of an
initial rolling production.”
Still, Democrats are con-
tinuing to escalate their
requests for information.
The House Judiciary Com-
mittee recently voted to
hold Attorney General Wil-
liam Barr in contempt of
Congress after negotiations
broke down with the depart-
ment over similar materials.
On Tuesday, House
Judiciary Chairman Jerr-
old Nadler issued subpoe-
nas for more Trump admin-
istration officials — former
White House communica-
tions director Hope Hicks
and Annie Donaldson, a for-
mer aide in the White House
counsel’s office — for doc-
uments and testimony. The
committee is expected to
vote on contempt against
McGahn in June.
McGahn is the most-
cited witness in Mueller’s
Trump-Russia investigation
report, recounting the pres-
ident’s attempts to inter-
fere with the probe. And
that makes his silence all
the more infuriating for
Democrats.
“Our subpoenas are not
optional,” Nadler said. “We
will not allow the president
to stop this investigation.”
Democrats are also
encouraged by an early suc-
cess in the legal battles , a
Monday ruling by a federal
judge against Trump on in
a financial records dispute
with Congress. Trump’s
team filed notice of appeal
on Tuesday.
With a 235-197 Demo-
cratic majority, Pelosi would
likely find support for start-
ing impeachment proceed-
ings, but it could be a tighter
vote than that margin sug-
gests. Many lawmakers
come from relatively con-
servative districts where
Trump also has support.
Corvallis
73/49
Albany
74/49
John Day
Eugene
Bend
74/50
70/45
70/46
Ontario
74/51
Caldwell
Burns
71/48
66/41
Medford
73/49
Klamath Falls
67/40
City
Baker City
Brookings
Ilwaco
Newberg
Newport
Today
Hi/Lo/W
70/42/c
64/49/pc
61/53/s
75/48/s
59/49/s
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
65/40/sh
61/48/pc
57/49/r
61/46/c
57/47/t
City
North Bend
Roseburg
Seaside
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Today
Hi/Lo/W
60/50/pc
73/51/pc
63/52/s
74/50/pc
76/51/s
Fri.
Hi/Lo/W
59/48/c
66/48/c
57/48/t
62/46/c
61/47/c