politics

Which Circle of Hell Do You Think This Is?

Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images

On Tuesday, President Trump met with Democratic congressional leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office to fight in front of the press about government funding. Vice-President Pence was also there, but only physically.

During the excruciating 17-minute meeting, Trump threatened to partially shut down the government if his demands for border wall funding are not met, while Democrats argued against a shutdown, and Pelosi encouraged everyone not to fight in front of the press. Mike Pence stared three-to-six feet into the distance.

The gathering consisted mostly of shouting and people interrupting each other, and at one point, this exchange happened:

And also this one:

This was the first meeting between Schumer, Pelosi, and the president since the midterms. It was supposed to be closed to the press, but per The Hill, the White House unexpectedly opened it just before Schumer and Pelosi’s arrival, presumably because the president wanted everyone to appreciate his sick burns, like when Pelosi said, “We should not have a Trump shutdown” and Trump said, “I was gonna call it a Pelosi shutdown.”

If those 17 minutes did not make you feel like you have been strung up, with flames licking the soles of your feet, Pelosi later described the interaction in these words, according to CNN reporter Manu Raju: “It was so wild. It goes to show you: You get into a tickle contest with a skunk, you get tinkle all over you.”

Welcome to the Tenth Circle.

Which Circle of Hell Do You Think This Is?