The president-elect was eager to evade responsibility for the consequences of a potential shutdown even as he blew up a bipartisan deal that would have kept the government open.
Thirty-eight Republican lawmakers resisted the president-elect’s command to support a spending and debt deal, showing that at least some of his followers are willing to buck his leadership in the right circumstances.
The return to power of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who has vowed to confront China on tariffs, has created deep uncertainty about the U.S. role in avoiding global conflicts.
The meeting with President Xi Jinping comes as President-elect Donald J. Trump has promised a much more aggressive approach to China that includes vast tariffs on Chinese goods.