President Donald J. Trump signaled a tense upcoming discussion with Democratic lawmakers, emphasizing that the talks will focus on keeping the country “open.”

“I’m meeting with, as you know, a couple of Democrats in a little while about… keeping our country open,” Trump said, before sharply criticizing their proposals. “They’re going to have to do some things because their ideas are not very good ones, they’re very bad for our country, so we’ll see how that works out.”

The president did not specify which Democrats he would meet with but made it clear that policy disagreements remain significant. Trump’s remarks suggest that negotiations may involve pressing issues such as government funding, economic measures, or border security—areas where partisan divides have historically been the sharpest.

While the details of the meeting are still unknown, the statement underscores Trump’s combative stance heading into the talks, setting the stage for another high-profile clash between the White House and Democratic leadership.