Pelosi, Well, Manhandles Trump with Two Tools: ‘A Feather and a Sledgehammer”
As Speaker Pelosi settled in for lunch Friday with a dozen or so columnists, news began to break of the impending deal to open the government. Eyeing her favorite dark chocolates in a bowl next to the sandwiches and salads, she said her husband likes hard chocolate and keeps it in the freezer. “I like to put it in the palm of my hand to soften it up,” she said, an apt metaphor I thought for how she had just handled President Trump over the five-week government shutdown.
She makes it sound easy, following a few simple rules. One, no State of the Union speech while the government is partially closed. Two, no negotiating about policy until the government is open. Then she stood her ground. No complicated back and forth. A straightforward “no” to every demand for a wall.
The deal reached between Trump and Senate leader McConnell opens the government for three weeks with no wall money. An online CNN story assessing the politics called it a clear win for Pelosi with the hashtag “Queen Pelosi.” Asked if she liked that, Pelosi responded with an emphatic “No, I don’t want anybody thinking in terms like a monarchy.”