President Trump intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border for a “ground breaking” of the border wall early next year, he said Wednesday during a surprise trip to visit U.S. troops in Iraq.
The president told reporters during the overseas visit he is planning on “going to the wall” on the southern border before his next State of the Union address.
Trump vowed during the 2016 presidential campaign to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to combat illegal immigration and stem the flow of drugs into the country. Since assuming the presidency, existing fencing has been replaced with taller fencing. Eight border wall prototypes were also put up along the border near San Diego.
The president pushed Congress this month to provide $5 billion for construction of the wall in a government spending package that funded multiple government agencies. But after Trump said he would not sign legislation that did not include new wall funding, lawmakers were unable to reach a deal before funding expired Dec. 21, resulting in a partial government shutdown that is currently on its fifth day.
When asked by reporters in Iraq how long the shutdown would last, Trump said, “whatever it takes.”
“We need a wall. We need safety for our country. Even from this standpoint,” he said. “We have terrorists coming in through the southern border.”
Trump and first lady Melania Trump left the White House on Christmas Day for their secret trip to Iraq, which marks his first visit to a combat zone since becoming president.
The president landed Wednesday evening at Al Asad Air Base, located west of Baghdad, and spent several hours in Iraq before departing.
