President Trump Thursday afternoon reasserted his demand from earlier in the day that Congress pass border barrier funding before a government funding deadline, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday.
“I’ve made my position very clear: Any measure that funds the government must include border security. Has to, not for political purposes but for our country, for the safety of our community,” Trump said during a farm bill signing event at the White House.
Trump spoke after telling House Republican leaders that he would not sign a temporary spending bill passed Wednesday by the Senate. Trump’s political base revolted overnight at the president’s apparent softening of his demand for wall funding to be part of a spending bill that would keep the government open until February.
Many senators already have left Washington for the Christmas holiday, and it’s unclear if a spending package with wall funding could pass before the Friday night deadline. It’s uncertain if 60 senators would vote for cloture anyhow. Senate Democrats had vowed not to give Trump a requested $5 billion in wall funds.
“In life, there are certain principles worth fighting for. Principles that are more important than politics, party, or personal conveniences. The safety and security and sovereignty of the United States is the most important principle of all,” Trump said.
It’s unclear if Trump will cancel a planned Friday evening trip to his South Florida Mar-a-Lago resort if the government partially shuts down, resulting in unpaid furloughs or canceled vacations for about 800,000 federal workers.
Trump reprised his recent use of the term “steel slats” to describe his proposed border barrier, saying the terminology could make his concept easier for Democrats.
“We don’t use the word ‘wall’ necessarily, but it has to be something special to do the job. ‘Steel slats,'” he said.
Returning to the word that inspired his 2016 campaign supporters to chant, “Build the wall!” Trump said later, “Walls work, whether you like it or not.”
“This is not merely my campaign promise, this is the promise every lawmaker made. It is the solemn promise to protect and defend the United States of America,” Trump said.
