President Trump has reportedly held back on criticism of presumptive Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, hoping to woo her over on compromise deals to end the partial government shutdown.
Trump’s respect for Pelosi
According to a new report from Politico, the President has a great deal of respect for Nancy Pelosi, and views her as a beneficial foil for his agenda. From the report:
His decision so far not to go after Pelosi personally, even as his top aides have blamed her for the shutdown, hasn’t gone unnoticed in the Capitol. Pelosi’s allies have viewed Trump’s restraint toward the incoming speaker as a sign that he’s looking beyond the shutdown in the hopes of notching some bipartisan wins this year — on infrastructure, perhaps, or prescription drug pricing.
Of course, Trump’s tone toward Pelosi could change on a dime given his penchant for pummeling adversaries and the likelihood Pelosi will refuse his demand for billions in border wall funding. But the relative peace between the chief lightning rods of their respective parties, at least to this point, is pretty remarkable.
When President Trump took to Twitter last weekend to blame Democrats for the government shutdown, he notably bypassed his party’s favorite foil: Nancy Pelosihttps://t.co/MqeHLFSCVG
— POLITICO (@politico) January 2, 2019
Respecting Pelosi isn’t enough
It’s nice that Trump respects Pelosi’s ability to wiggle her way to the top of a fight, and shut down all opposition to her pending speakership. (RELATED: Marcia Fudge Endorses Pelosi for Speaker As Reports Emerge She Vouched For Man Accused of Killing His Ex-Wife.) Trump has even facetiously endorsed her speakership bid, saying that she “deserves” the title. (RELATED: Trump Again Offers Support For Nancy Pelosi’s Bid For Speaker.)
These cutesy tactics are funny enough, but it’s hard to tell if they’ll actually make Pelosi amendable to Trump’s agenda. As of right now, Pelosi is refusing to give an inch on border-wall funding in order to reopen the government. In fact, her caucus is planning to pass a slew of funding bills, all while avoiding paying for the border wall. (RELATED: House Dems Release Plan To End Shutdown — No Wall Included.)
Pelosi is playing hardball now because she still hasn’t secured her speakership. But, there are signs that Trump’s begrudging respect for Pelosi may pay off in other ways.
Both Trump and Pelosi want to do something productive
Trump and Pelosi both reportedly are actually willing to work together on specific items they think will beneficial to their long-run political prospects. From the Politico report:
For now, though, sources familiar with Trump and Pelosi’s thinking say there’s a willingness on both their parts to try to get something done.
Trump set the tone of the relationship during a phone call after his election in 2016, when he praised Pelosi for her “terrific” leadership skills.
Here’s the thing: Pelosi has to govern as the leader of the House of Representatives. She will have to compromise sometimes with Trump. It’s inevitable. By holding off on the more devastating insults, Trump is setting the stage for what could be massive deals on his top priorities.
First step is getting some funding for the border wall. Let’s see if Trump can do it at today’s meeting. (RELATED: Trump’s Plan for Today’s Meeting with Democrats Over Shutdown and Border Wall.) Sometimes flattery can be the perfect lubricant for a deal.
