Pelosi admits she hasn't spoken to Trump in a year, says stimulus talks don't have to be 'person-to-person'
Nancy Pelosi reportedly admitted to not having spoken directly with President Donald Trump for a year as the negotiations for the second round of stimulus checks is currently underway. Pelosi confirmed that she hasn't had an in-person conversation with Trump on Nicolle Wallace's MSNBC’s 'Deadline'. Pelosi hasn't spoken to Trump since she was seen storming out of a sit-down meeting in the White House, a year ago on October 16.
Speaking about why the Democrats walked out, Pelosi said, "We left because there was no purpose to staying there. There was no truth coming from the other side. And it was really just unfortunate and it – because all roads lead to Putin. You can see that continuation in the revelations about Rudy Giuliani. When those interactions with the Russians were made known – were found out, they were made known to the White House. We don't know what that reaction was, but it is a continuation of all roads."
She also spoke about how despite not being in direct contact with the president, she was able to work on some bills that Democrats approved of and the ongoing stimulus checks for Coronavirus and explained, "Now, you said some things that happened over the year. Let me say, without the two of us speaking person-to-person, but, either through the airwaves or through the President's intermediaries, we were able, in that period of time, to pass a huge omnibus bill to keep the government open, working with Secretary Mnuchin then. And then, we were able to work with the trade representative to improve vastly what the President thought would be a good trade agreement with Russia – excuse me, with Mexico and Canada and so we were able to effect a US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement that all – overwhelmingly, the Democrats voted for. They usually don't, but we improved the bill, the proposal immensely. Since then, we've had four bipartisan, overwhelmingly bipartisan Covid-19 bills in the Congress, in addition to other legislation."
Wallace then asked Pelosi, "I know that, while you don’t talk to the President, you have worked on other Covid relief bills with Treasury Secretary Mnuchin. What is the latest on those talks? And are they ongoing?" To which the Democrat responded," We're making progress. We have to have clarification in language because we have some big differences. That is to say, when it comes to the amount that’s one disagreement. But it is not just about the money, it is about the funding. And if the funding is about giving the President a slush fund for testing, a slush fund for health care providers, a slush fund for this, rather than a prescription for what we need, what scientists tell us [we] need to stop the spread of this virus. This is the core problem. Everything else is a symptom. The way our economy goes down, whether our kids can't go to school, all of it, we have got to centrally defeat the virus. And science has told us how: testing, tracing, treating, mask-wearing, ventilation, separation, sanitation, all of it. And if we do that, we can help stop it, and then if we can, God willing, get a vaccine. And I hope that will be soon, and I pray it will be soon."
On the other hand, Trump had said on Thursday, October 15, to Fox News that he is “ready to sign” a fourth coronavirus stimulus package, but that the person he is negotiating against is House Speaker, Pelosi. If he and Pelosi can strike a deal, Senate Republicans will get on board.