President Donald Trump addressed the media on Tuesday after a meeting with congressional leadership that House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Cali.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) decided not to attend following a morning tweet from the president.
After speaking about the recent North Korean ballistic missile launch, Trump said he was "not really that surprised" the Democratic leaders decided not to attend the meeting, citing their differences in opinion.
"With that being said, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi did not show up for our meeting today. I’m not really that surprised. We have a lot of differences," Trump said. "They're weak on crime. They're weak on illegal immigration. They want the illegal folks to come pouring into our border."
While the president spoke, he was flanked by two empty seats and nameplate holders for the Democratic leaders. Republican leaders, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), sat at opposite ends of the table.
President Trump leaves two chairs open for Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer pic.twitter.com/PrUoS55kb3
— Rae (@RaeLynnZiegler) November 28, 2017
To put it in perspective, here's the layout of the WH meeting pic.twitter.com/8JwAAmUs6n
— Rae (@RaeLynnZiegler) November 28, 2017
Pelosi and Schumer announced they would not attend the bipartisan meeting on Tuesday morning after the president criticized the Democratic leaders on Twitter for being "weak" on crime and wanting to "raise taxes."
McConnell also knocked the missing Democratic leadership, telling reporters he "never refused to go to a meeting that President Obama called."
"I never refused to go to a meeting that President Obama called ... it never occurred to me to just not show up," he said.