President Donald Trump demanded in a surprise press conference Wednesday that Democrats stop investigating him or else he won’t work with them on legislative issues.
The president’s remarks, which were delivered to press in the White House Rose Garden, came shortly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and other Democrats were expected to be at the White House for a meeting on infrastructure.
The meeting was cut short, the president revealed, because he was upset with Pelosi’s claim that he was involved in a “cover up” related to the Mueller investigation into alleged Russian collusion. (RELATED: Pelosi Accuses Trump Of Engaging In ‘Cover Up’)
“I came here for a meeting with Democrats, not thinking that they wanted to do infrastructure or anything else other than investigate,” Trump opened his remarks. “Nancy Pelosi, just before our meeting, made a statement that we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover up.”
“I just wanted to let you know that I walked into the room and told Sen. Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, ‘I want to do infrastructure, I want to do it more than you want to do it. I would be really good at that. That’s what I do. But you know what? You can’t do it under these circumstances. So get these phony investigations over with,'” Trump continued.
WATCH:
Trump presented his message with a sign on his lectern that contained several facts about the Mueller investigation, including the price tag and the number of witnesses interviewed, with the message “No Collusion, No Obstruction.” The White House also passed out handouts that contained stats such as, “nearly 500 search warrants” and “more than 2,500 subpoenas.”
The meeting was meant to be the second on infrastructure, after Trump and the Democrats reached a tentative $2 trillion deal last month.
Just hours before the meeting was set to take place, the Democrats held their own meeting on potentially impeaching Trump. Pelosi emerged from the meeting and told reporters, “We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States … We believe the president of the United States is engaged in a cover up.”
The Democrats have ramped up their investigations into the president and his administration in recent weeks, issuing subpoenas for testimony from his son, Donald Trump Jr., former White House counsel Don McGahn, former Communications Director Hope Hicks, and other high-profile officials.