It began quietly in Washington, with senators negotiating a bipartisan deal to confirm dozens of President Trump’s nominees before the late-summer recess. Both parties stood to gain: Trump would advance his agenda, while Democrats sought to secure funding unfreezes stalled across federal agencies.

Negotiations seemed close to a deal, with up to 60 appointments on the table. But on Saturday night, Trump shattered the progress with a fiery post on Truth Social. He accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of demanding over \$1 billion to approve a few nominees and told him to “GO TO HELL!”

This public outburst turned a hopeful negotiation into a political standoff. Trump called Schumer’s proposal “political extortion” and urged Republicans to reject it and go home. Within an hour, the Senate emptied, leaving only seven nominees confirmed before recess.

Schumer fired back, accusing Trump of walking away in anger and failing to negotiate. Democrats had sought assurances that Trump would stop freezing approved funding for healthcare, research, and foreign aid in exchange for letting uncontroversial nominees pass smoothly.

Senate GOP leader John Thune, acting as the intermediary, was caught off guard by Trump’s sudden withdrawal, describing the talks as close but unable to “lock it in.” Some Republicans, like Senator Markwayne Mullin, blamed Democrats for raising demands but acknowledged Trump’s role in ending talks.

With recess underway, the fallout includes stalled nominations and mounting tensions. Republicans hint at possible rule changes to speed confirmations, which Schumer warns could worsen partisan divides.

Trump’s pattern of abrupt deal-breaking and public battles continues to paralyze Washington, leaving the future uncertain as another government funding deadline looms and midterm elections approach.