Trump Had Abrupt Change of Heart Before DACA Meeting

"Durbin blew DACA," proclaimed President Trump in a tweet Monday night, the latest unraveling between the two men in the wake of Thursday's now infamous meeting on immigration. The Washington Post reports that before Trump allegedly spoke of "shithole" (or "shithouse") countries, there was a 180-degree turn: Per its interviews with more than a dozen people in and near the White House, as of 10:15am last Thursday, things were hunky-dory between the two men, with Trump lauding the bipartisan immigration deal Sen. Dick Durbin helped forge in a phone call with the Democrat. After Durbin confirmed that Lindsey Graham was on board, Trump extended a noon invite to the two—who arrived in his office to discover a "fired up" Trump who, unexpectedly, wasn't alone but was flanked by hard-liners and dismissive of Durbin and Graham's efforts.

The paper suggests Chief of Staff John Kelly and others in the White House got to Trump in advance of the meeting as news spread that things were on track with Durbin and Graham, reportedly telling Trump the deal wasn't in step with his agenda. The Post depicts Graham playing the hand he was dealt: staying largely mum on Trump's reported vulgarity out of a desire to play nice and make a deal happen. In comments to the Post & Courier, Graham said, "My memory hasn't evolved. I know what was said and I know what I said." The paper characterizes the statement as "appear[ing] to be a direct jab" at Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue, who were present at the meeting and first said they didn't remember Trump's words, only to later deny. The Post cites sources who say the men decided they could deny because they actually heard Trump say "shithouse." (More President Trump stories.)