Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) was caught on a hot mic Thursday saying President Donald Trump "likes us."
The senator was speaking to staffers shortly after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's floor speech when, in reference to Trump, the senator said, "he likes us. He likes me anyway," according to a transcription from the Washington Examiner.
The comment came the day after Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had dinner with Trump at the White House. The topic of conversation was centered on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration amnesty program, according to the Democratic lawmakers. After the dinner, Schumer and Pelosi released a statement claiming Trump agreed to support DACA legislation in exchange for the Democrats' support in passing a border security package, one without border wall funding. The White House came out afterwards, denying any such agreement was made.
"Look, what we said was exactly accurate," Schumer said to staffers in reference to his statement.
The Democratic senator then recounted to aides what advice he gave the president.
"Here's what I told him: 'Mr. President, you are much better off sometimes stepping right and sometimes step left. [If] you have to step just in one direction, you're boxed," he said.