McConnell, Thune notably absent as Trump, House GOP leaders talk about shutdown
As a defiant President Trump fielded questions in the White House Rose Garden on Friday afternoon, he was flanked by the two top-ranking House Republicans. But the top two Senate Republicans weren’t there.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) were not aware that Trump was going to hold a news conference with GOP leaders after a meeting with congressional leaders in both parties, their aides said. So they left.
Asked why McConnell was not on hand at the news conference, Trump replied, “because he’s running the Senate.” The Senate had adjourned its business for the week hours earlier.
On Thursday, McConnell distanced himself from the tense negotiations over border security funding and the partial government shutdown. Last month, McConnell led the Senate to unanimously approve a measure to avert a shutdown — only to be thwarted by Trump, who refused to support the plan. Since then, McConnell has stepped back, asserting repeatedly that he will only hold another vote on a bill that Trump agrees to sign and that also has the enough Democratic backing to clear the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/mcconnell-thune-notably-absent-as-trump-house-gop-leaders-talk-about-shutdown/2019/01/04/21d84938-106b-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html?utm_term=.0ea5372f4fc3
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