An unfamiliar courtship has begun taking place between Donald Trump and leading congressional Democrats, with neither side entirely sure whether to trust the other or what good might come from their political dalliance.
On Wednesday evening, the president is set to have dinner with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). As noteworthy as the dinner itself may be, the bigger news is who is not on the invite list. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will not be in attendance.
Nearly nine months into a modern-day presidential administration, such outreach is not all that common. It was two years into President Barack Obama’s tenure before he held his first solo meeting with Republican leaders, and that came only after a humbling midterm defeat. Obama would meet with then Speaker John Boehner in December 2012. The two would not meet face-to-face again until February 2014.
