'Chicken': Dem leader taunts Trump for bailing on meeting

Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) was scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump in a last ditch effort to avoid a government shutdown — but Trump abruptly scrapped the get together Tuesday.

Jefferies immediately hit back at the president, using a nickname known to get under his skin.

."Trump Always Chickens Out," wrote Jeffries on X, referring to the TACO acronym. "Donald Trump just cancelled a high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office with myself and [Democratic Senate] Leader [Chuck] Schumer. The extremists want to shut down the government because they are unwilling to address the Republican healthcare crisis that is devastating America."

"Trump is running away from the negotiating table before he even gets there. While Americans face rising costs and a Republican healthcare crisis, Trump would rather throw a tantrum than do his job. Democrats are ready to work to avoid a shutdown — Trump and Republicans are holding America hostage. Donald Trump will own the shutdown," Schumer said in his statement that Punchbowl News reporter Andrew Desiderio copied on X.

Republicans currently hold a majority in the House and Senate.