AGRICULTURE/FEDERAL FUNDING/HOUSE OF REPS/NANCY PELOSI/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump ratcheted up his feud with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday [5-23-19], turning an event organized to announce a multibillion-dollar aid package to farmers into a nearly half-hour-long diatribe against his Democratic rivals. Rejecting Pelosi’s characterization of his decision to scrap a meeting Wednesday [5-22-19] with Democrats because of their continued investigations as a ‘temper tantrum,’ Trump accused Democratic officials of being ‘bad people,’ referred to Pelosi as ‘crazy Nancy’ and enlisted several White House officials to publicly corroborate his account that he had addressed Democrats calmly — and not in anger — the previous day…Trump’s anger at House Democrats’ investigations had been steadily mounting for weeks, but Pelosi’s accusation that the President had engaged in a ‘cover-up’ sent him over the edge, prompting him to swear off policy talks with Democrats and shine a spotlight on what he considers Democrats’ ‘phony investigations.’ A source close to the White House said that Pelosi ‘hasn’t gotten under (Trump’s) skin. But got his attention.’ Multiple sources close to the White House claimed that Trump’s stepped-up rhetoric over the last couple of days has been tactical, aimed at pressuring House Democrats to ‘put up or shut up’ on impeachment, an indication that the President does not like being in this state of perpetual investigation.”
–Jeremy Diamond, Dana Bash and Lauren Fox, “Trump denies ‘temper tantrum’ in angry public episode,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, May 23, 2019 11:05 pm