JUST IN: Trump Shuts Down Stimulus Negotiations, Says They Will Not Continue Until After the Election

Ken MeyerOct 6th, 2020, 3:10 pm
 

Alex Wong/Getty Images

One day after returning from Walter Reed after being hospitalized because of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced that he is ordering his team to stop negotiating a fiscal stimulus package with congressional Democrats.

Trump announced his decision on Twitter, accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “not negotiating in good faith,” and said he won’t deal on Covid relief further until the 2020 election is over, specifically “after I win.”

“Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith,” Trump said. “I am rejecting their request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business.”

Trump also told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to “focus full time” on moving forward with the confirmation process to put Judge Amy Coney Barrett on the Supreme Court to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Wall Street did not take kindly to the news. In a matter of minutes after the president’s tweet, the Dow Jones plummeted — falling nearly 400 points to drop below 28,000.

UPDATE — 10:37 pm ET: Trump followed up Tuesday night with tweets calling for some immediate action to be taken, specifying a standalone bill for $1200 stimulus checks in particular:

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