Democrats dump Trump meeting

The Democratic leaders Democratic leaders have cancelled a meeting with President Donald Trump after the latter attacked them on Twitter.

Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi pulled out of a planned meeting with President Trump at the White House.

"Meeting with 'Chuck and Nancy' today about keeping government open and working. Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don't see a deal!" Trump tweeted.

"Given that the President doesn't see a deal between Democrats and the White House, we believe the best path forward is to continue negotiating with our Republican counterparts in Congress instead," Schumer and Pelosi said in a joint statement.

"Rather than going to the White House for a show meeting that won't result in an agreement, we've asked Leader McConnell and Speaker Ryan to meet this afternoon."

Their move was criticised by House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate leader Mitch McConnell, who are also attending Tuesday afternoon's meeting with the president.

Democrats have demanded that a funding deal include language to protect young undocumented immigrants known as "Dreamers" who are threatened with deportation next year because of Trump's decision to end an Obama-era program, reported the Hill.

The current funding bill, brokered in a surprise deal between Trump and Democrats in September that caught Republicans off-guard, expires on December 8.

President Trump is still scheduled to head to Capitol Hill today to rally Senate Republicans on his tax plan ahead of a likely vote to decide the fate of the measure in the Senate later this week.