Senate Leaves DC With No Deal on Trump Nominees

After days of contentious back-and-forth, during which President Trump told Chuck Schumer he could "go to hell," the Senate ultimately left Washington, DC, for its August recess Saturday night without a deal on confirmations for dozens of Trump nominees still awaiting advancement. Lawmakers say the president privately instructed Republicans to walk away from the negotiations, Politico reports. "The president is fed up," says GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma. With Democrats doing what they can to hold up the confirmation process, Republicans plan on attempting to change Senate rules when they return in September in order to pick up the pace, NPR reports.

Schumer painted the situation in positive terms for Democrats, Fox News reports. "He took his ball, he went home, leaving Democrats and Republicans alike wondering what the hell happened," Schumer said of Trump's "go to hell" post. "Trump's all-caps Tweet said it all. In a fit of rage, Trump threw in the towel, sent Republicans home, and was unable to do the basic work of negotiating." As for a potential deal, both sides were accusing one another of upping their demands. Schumer warned that a rules change would be a "huge mistake." It's not clear whether Republicans plan to pursue that course immediately upon returning from recess, or after the government funding deadline at the end of September.