Donald Trump’s bizarre 20-minute sparring match captured on film

Donald Trump has finally lost it. The US president clashed with top Democrats in a startling on-camera spat that lasted 20 minutes.

Donald Trump has clashed with top Democrats in a startling on-camera shouting match that lasted a full 20 minutes.

Well, it seems the President has finally lost it.

It was barely a month ago that Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives, but already Donald Trump has engaged in a baffling on-camera sparring match with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The three were seated around the Oval Office discussing funding for the border wall with Mexico, with a partial shutdown looming on December 21 when funding for some agencies will expire.

Mr Trump wants $US5 billion in funding for the wall’s construction next year, while Democrats are only prepared to offer $US1.3 billion.

To say it didn’t go well is an understatement.

As discussions grew more and more heated, the three leaders “pointed fingers, raised their voices and interrupted each other repeatedly as they fought over policy and politics”, according to the Washington Post. Each side refused to budge over the price tag.

Then the attacks grew personal.

Invoking a famous line by former President Barack Obama, Mr Schumer warned: “Elections have consequences, Mr President”.

He insisted Mr Trump shouldn’t shut down the government just because he “can’t get his way”.

“You just say my way or you shut down the government,” Mr Schumer exploded.

Not a happy camper.

The yelling match continued as Mr Trump then took a swipe at Ms Pelosi’s political performance, saying: “Nancy’s in a situation where it’s not easy for her to talk right now.”

“Please don’t characterise the strength I bring to this meeting,” she fired back.

She added: “The fact is you do not have the votes in the House.”

The whole time, Vice President Mike Pence sat in the corner looking uncharacteristically relatable:

‘Why?’

‘Why am I still sitting here?’

‘Why did I sign up for this?’

Ms Pelosi repeatedly asked Mr Trump to turn the cameras off for the meeting, but the heated argument lasted for almost 20 minutes while baffled reporters looked on.

At one point, Ms Pelosi remarked: “This has spiralled downwards.”

The meeting ended with Mr Trump threatening to shut down the government, declaring he’d be happy to take such a drastic action to get what he wants.

Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer both implored him not to do so, but he insisted: “I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck. I’m going to shut it down for border security.

“If we don’t get what we want, one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government. I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down.”

Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer addressed reporters on the White House lawn just minutes after the blow-up.

“We came in here in good faith and we are entering into this kind of a discussion in the public view,” Ms Pelosi told reporters. “He says ‘We can pass it in the House, right now’. He doesn’t have the votes in the House, to pass whatever his agenda is with that wall in it.

“We are telling him, we will keep the government open, with a proposal that Mr Schumer suggested. Why doesn’t he just think about it? In fact, I asked him to pray over it.”

Ms Pelosi and Mr Schumer addressed reporters on the White House lawn just minutes after the blow-up, saying they ‘came in good faith’.

Asked if things were more productive behind the scenes, Ms Pelosi said: “You want to know who is more productive behind the scenes? I hear some of the reporters saying: ‘Why do we not want transparency in this discussion question?’

“We don’t want to contradict the president when he is putting forth figures that have no reality … I didn’t want to, in front of those people, (say) ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’”

Mr Schumer described it as a “temper tantrum” on the President’s part, stating: “This temper tantrum that he seems to throw — will not get him his wall, and it will hurt a lot of people because he will cause a shutdown.

“He admitted he wanted a shutdown. It is hard to believe that he would want that.”

“Our position is the president’s position,” House Speaker Paul Ryan told reporters afterwards.

“We share the president’s goal. … We need to secure the border.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell likewise warned it would be a “very, very long month” if the Democrats didn’t appease Mr Trump over the wall.

“For the nation’s sake, I hope that my Democratic friends are prepared to have a serious discussion and reach an accommodation with the president on funding for border security,” he said in a speech on the Senate floor.

The heated Oval Office discussion marked Mr Trump’s first encounter with the newly-empowered Democrats since their midterm victory in the House last month.

Consider it a preview of what’s to come.