President Trump implored Democrats to approve funding for his border wall hours before the government is set to partially shutdown.
“We’re going to have a shutdown. There’s nothing we can do about that because we need the Democrats to give us their votes. Call it a Democrat shutdown. Call it whatever you want. But we need their help to get this approved,” Trump said in a video message late Friday.
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OUR GREAT COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY! pic.twitter.com/ZGcYygMf3a
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018
The White House and senators negotiated throughout the day to try and reach a spending deal that Congress could pass and the president would sign, but were unsuccessful. Trump, who had earlier said he was proud to shut down the government over border security funding, placed the blame squarely on Democrats Friday.
The Senate adjourned about four hours before funding for several federal agencies was set to expire at midnight with no deal on the horizon. Democrats and Republicans have been unable to see eye to eye on how much funding should be allotted for Trump’s promised border wall.
The House passed a bill Thursday giving Trump his desired $5 billion for the wall. Senate Democrats have so far resisted Trump’s funding demands.
“The shutdown hopefully will not last long,” Trump said.
The president canceled his trip to his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, on Friday, where he was scheduled to spend the holidays. First lady Melania Trump and their son, Barron, are spending Christmas there, regardless of whether the president is able to join them.
“It has long been the family’s tradition to spend their Christmas holiday at Mar-a-Lago. Her plans to travel with her son to their Florida home for his winter break have not changed this year,” the first lady’s communications director, Stephanie Grisham, told the Washington Examiner.
