Trump hits back at Democratic 'cover-up' claims:

US President Donald Trump has angrily lashed out at Democratic leaders' claims he is engaged in a "cover-up".

"I don't do cover-ups," the Republican president said in an unscheduled briefing from the White House.

His remarks came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met fellow Democrats to discuss impeaching the president.

Mr Trump is fighting congressional inquiries by ignoring subpoenas, withholding documents and blocking testimony by current and ex-advisers.

The president spoke minutes after cutting short a planned meeting with the two top Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill.

The trio were due to discuss spending on ageing US roads and bridges, a rare possible area of agreement between the White House and its political antagonists.

But Mr Trump abruptly left the discussion with House of Representatives leader Mrs Pelosi and her Senate counterpart Chuck Schumer after barely five minutes.

The president then appeared in the Rose Garden to make a surprise statement, condemning "phoney investigations" by Democrats.

Mr Trump also charged his political opponents with "abuse" and railed against their invoking of "the big i word" - impeachment.

According to CBS News, Mr Trump walked into the meeting with Mrs Pelosi and Mr Schumer and did not shake either's hand or sit down.

An unnamed source familiar with the encounter said Mr Trump upbraided the House speaker for her "terrible" allegation earlier in the day about a cover-up.

The president demanded Democrats end their investigations against him, or he would not discuss anything else, then abruptly left the room.

Mrs Pelosi did not back down, later specifically mentioning the US constitutional process for removing a president from office.

She said at an event in Washington: "The fact is, in plain sight in the public domain, this president is obstructing justice and he's engaged in a cover-up - and that could be an impeachable offence."

At a press conference earlier with Mrs Pelosi, Mr Schumer accused Mr Trump of "running away".

"When we got in the room, the curtains were closed," the New York senator said about their brief meeting.

"There was a place for him at the front so he could stand and attempt to tell us why he wouldn't do infrastructure, and of course, then he went to the Rose Garden with prepared signs that had been printed long before our meeting."

Source: https://aderonkebamidele.com/trump-hits-back-at-democratic-cover-up-claims/