President Donald Trump is making a late pivot. After canceling talks just days ago, he now plans to meet with the top four congressional leaders at the White House on Monday afternoon in a

last-ditch attempt to avoid a government shutdown. The shift was announced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, a fellow Republican, on Sunday.

Trump had originally scrapped discussions with Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer, blasting them for making what he called “unserious and ridiculous demands.” Still, he left the door open if, in his words, Democrats got “serious about the future of our nation.”

Now, according to Johnson, everyone—including Jeffries, Schumer, and Republican Senate leader John Thune—will sit down in the Oval Office at 2 p.m. ET.

The stakes are high. Without a deal, large parts of the federal government could start shutting down as early as Wednesday morning. Agencies have already been told to prepare for furloughs and layoffs.

Both sides have been trading blame for days. Republicans say Democrats are holding the government hostage over healthcare, while Democrats argue Republicans are trying to force spending cuts that would hit millions of Americans.

At the center of the fight are healthcare subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act. Democrats want them extended now, warning that if they expire, over 20 million Americans could see their insurance costs soar. “We don’t want a shutdown,” Schumer said on Sunday. “We hope the president comes ready for serious negotiations—not just rants and grievances.”

But there’s reason for skepticism. CBS reported that Trump himself doesn’t expect much progress. According to journalist Robert Costa, Trump told him a shutdown “looks likely” and even suggested he might welcome one, believing it would give him more executive leverage to cut what he calls “waste, fraud, and abuse.”

The House already passed a short-term spending bill earlier this month to keep the government open for seven weeks, but it needs Democratic support in the Senate to move forward. Democrats have refused without a healthcare guarantee. Republicans insist healthcare can be dealt with later—before the December 31 subsidy deadline—while Democrats argue Americans can’t afford the gamble.

Republican leaders like Thune maintain the ball is in Democrats’ court: “There is a bill on the table. The president will sign it. They just need to stop playing politics.”

But Democrats like Senator Chris Van Hollen say the real issue is Republicans giving Trump what amounts to “a blank check” for political spending.

Now, everything comes down to Monday’s meeting. Will it be a breakthrough—or just another shouting match? Photo by Martin Falbisoner, Wikimedia commons.