Trump says he won't work with Democrats until they drop their 'phony investigations' into him

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Trump says he won't work with Democrats until they drop their 'phony investigations' into him

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Donald Trump

Leah Millis/Reuters

President Donald Trump speaks about the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 22, 2019.

  • President Donald Trump on Wednesday accused Democrats of "abuse" and said he can't do any work with them until they cease their "phony investigations" into him. 
  • House Democrats are currently investigating the president on an array of issues, including his business dealings and whether he obstructed the Russia investigation.
  • Trump's comments came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the president of engaging in a "cover-up." She was seemingly referencing the Trump administration's efforts to stonewall Democratic-led congressional inquiries.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signaled he won't work with Democrats in Congress on an array of issues until they halt their "phony investigations" into him. 

In an impromptu press conference at the White House after a brief meeting with Democratic leaders on infrastructure, Trump said, "I walked into the room and I told Senator Schumer, Speaker Pelosi, 'I want to do infrastructure. I want to do it more than you want to do it … but you know what, you can't do it under these circumstances. So get these phony investigations over with.'"

Read more: Nancy Pelosi: 'The president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up'

"Let them play their games," Trump said, accusing the Democrats of "abuse" over the ongoing investigations covering everything from his business dealings to whether he obstructed justice in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian election interference. 

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This came after Pelosi earlier in the day said the president was engaged in a "cover-up."

After a Democratic caucus meeting Wednesday morning that involved an impassioned discussion on the prospect of impeaching Trump, Pelosi said, "We do believe that it's important to follow the facts."

"We believe that no one is above the law, including the president of the United States," she said. "And we believe that the president of the United States is engaged in a cover-up."

The Trump administration has refused to comply with subpoenas from various House committees investigating the president on an array of matters, exacerbating the already antagonistic relationship between the White House and Democrats.

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Read more: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just called out Democratic leaders for not moving to impeach Trump

But even as some of the more liberal Democrats in the House have ramped up calls for impeachment, Pelosi has preached caution. The House Speaker is concerned that moving to impeach Trump could alienate voters ahead of the 2020 election, and are also aware that even if the president was impeached he would likely be acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate. 

The president on Wednesday expressed dismay over the impeachment discussions among House Democrats. "They had a meeting about the I word," Trump said in his last-minute Rose Garden pres conference. "The I word!"

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