Trump Threatens To Go 'A Different Way' After Stimulus Talks Break Down

President Trump on Friday threatened to go "a different way” after stimulus negotiations failed to produce an agreement with Congress.

“Pelosi and Schumer only interested in Bailout Money for poorly run Democrat cities and states. Nothing to do with China Virus! Want one trillion dollars. No interest. We are going a different way!” Trump tweeted, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Trump has been angered by the Democrats’ request to include additional funding for state and local governments in the COVID-19 stimulus package. Trump now seems to be moving forward on his threat to issue executive orders to ease the economic suffering Americans face amid the pandemic.

Earlier in the week, Trump said he would issue new executive orders on issues such as evictions, student loans and payroll taxes if congressional leaders failed to reach a deal by Friday.

“Upon departing the Oval Office for Ohio, I’ve notified my staff to continue working on an Executive Order with respect to Payroll Tax Cut, Eviction Protections, Unemployment Extensions, and Student Loan Repayment Options,” Trump tweeted Thursday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, along with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, recommended Trump move forward with the executive orders on Friday after meeting with top congressional Democrats. Mnuchin and Meadows have expressed frustration that Democratic leaders will not agree to a short-term relief deal.

Pelosi and Schumer support a comprehensive package that would keep boosted unemployment payments, send out another round of stimulus checks and provide aid to state and local governments. Pelosi and Schumer said they were willing to bring down their $3.4 trillion price tag on the legislation to around $2 trillion, but Republicans rejected the offer.

"They rejected it. They said they couldn’t go much above their existing $1 trillion,” Schumer said. “Meet us in the middle, God sakes, please, for the sake of America. Meet us in the middle, don't say 'my way or no way,' which is what they're saying — they don't want to come off their number.”

The U.S. economy is in dire straits, with GDP in the second quarter dropping at the annualized rate of 32.9% amid the pandemic. The unemployment rate stands in the double-digits, with 23 million Americans at risk of eviction.