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| Trump repeats threat to call national emergency as he heads to border | Trump repeats threat to call national emergency as he heads to border |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump has reiterated his threat to declare a national emergency if Congress does not meet his demand for billions of dollars to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border as part of a deal to end the partial government shutdown. | Donald Trump has reiterated his threat to declare a national emergency if Congress does not meet his demand for billions of dollars to construct a wall along the US-Mexico border as part of a deal to end the partial government shutdown. |
| As he left the White House on Thursday for a visit to the Texas border, Trump told reporters he would prefer to work with Congress on a deal to end the partial government shutdown but will use his emergency powers to circumvent Congress if they can’t come to agreement. | As he left the White House on Thursday for a visit to the Texas border, Trump told reporters he would prefer to work with Congress on a deal to end the partial government shutdown but will use his emergency powers to circumvent Congress if they can’t come to agreement. |
| “I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency,” Trump said, contradicting legal scholars who have questioned the president’s right to take such action in this case. | “I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency,” Trump said, contradicting legal scholars who have questioned the president’s right to take such action in this case. |
| How bad is the US government shutdown and can it be resolved? | |
| “I haven’t done it yet, I may do it. If this doesn’t work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely,” he said. | “I haven’t done it yet, I may do it. If this doesn’t work out, probably I will do it. I would almost say definitely,” he said. |
| Thursday is the 20th day of the shutdown, just one day shy of the longest government closure in US history. | Thursday is the 20th day of the shutdown, just one day shy of the longest government closure in US history. |
| Trump is travelling to the Mexican border on Thursday as a publicity ploy aimed at shoring up his contested policy of insisting on a wall, which triggered the shutdown. | Trump is travelling to the Mexican border on Thursday as a publicity ploy aimed at shoring up his contested policy of insisting on a wall, which triggered the shutdown. |
| Trump is expected to travel to a section of border in the Rio Grande Valley near Mission, Texas. According to local media, he will stop at Anzadulas park on the banks of the Rio Grande, where border agents regularly search for migrants attempting to enter the US illegally – giving a clue to Trump’s likely photo opportunity and comments. | Trump is expected to travel to a section of border in the Rio Grande Valley near Mission, Texas. According to local media, he will stop at Anzadulas park on the banks of the Rio Grande, where border agents regularly search for migrants attempting to enter the US illegally – giving a clue to Trump’s likely photo opportunity and comments. |
| Trump walks out on Democrats and calls shutdown talks 'a waste of time' | Trump walks out on Democrats and calls shutdown talks 'a waste of time' |
| The visit falls at a highly awkward and politically perilous moment for Trump. His dogged refusal to reopen the government unless Democrats in control of the House sign off on $5.6bn for his border wall means that 800,000 federal employees have been sent home or are working without pay. | The visit falls at a highly awkward and politically perilous moment for Trump. His dogged refusal to reopen the government unless Democrats in control of the House sign off on $5.6bn for his border wall means that 800,000 federal employees have been sent home or are working without pay. |
| The visit to the border also comes just hours before hundreds of thousands of government workers will miss their first paychecks. | The visit to the border also comes just hours before hundreds of thousands of government workers will miss their first paychecks. |
| The president appears to be less than enthusiastic about the trip. He reportedly told a group of TV anchors on Tuesday, speaking off the record: “It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it.” | The president appears to be less than enthusiastic about the trip. He reportedly told a group of TV anchors on Tuesday, speaking off the record: “It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it.” |
| The idea is said to have come from the White House communications team. | The idea is said to have come from the White House communications team. |
| The border tour comes as the rift between Trump and the newly powerful Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives appears to be hardening. On Wednesday, Trump walked out of a meeting with the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, after Pelosi repeated her refusal to fund the wall. | The border tour comes as the rift between Trump and the newly powerful Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives appears to be hardening. On Wednesday, Trump walked out of a meeting with the speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, after Pelosi repeated her refusal to fund the wall. |
| With Trump digging himself into a hole in which he has vowed to keep the shutdown going for months or even years unless he gets his wall, an end to the impasse looks still distant. His strategic priority appears to be sustaining the support of his political base of hardline supporters by fueling fears of a “humanitarian crisis” at the border. | With Trump digging himself into a hole in which he has vowed to keep the shutdown going for months or even years unless he gets his wall, an end to the impasse looks still distant. His strategic priority appears to be sustaining the support of his political base of hardline supporters by fueling fears of a “humanitarian crisis” at the border. |
| Donald Trump fuels immigration fears in TV address on 'border crisis' | Donald Trump fuels immigration fears in TV address on 'border crisis' |
| He did just that on Tuesday in his first primetime address to the nation from the Oval Office. The speech warned of “vast quantities of illegal drugs” and criminals pouring into the US in terms that the Democrats denounced as “misinformation and even malice”. | He did just that on Tuesday in his first primetime address to the nation from the Oval Office. The speech warned of “vast quantities of illegal drugs” and criminals pouring into the US in terms that the Democrats denounced as “misinformation and even malice”. |
| Among those traveling to Texas with the president will be the top White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, prompting speculation that Trump might be preparing to declare the “national emergency” in the hope of bypassing Congress in funding the wall. | Among those traveling to Texas with the president will be the top White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, prompting speculation that Trump might be preparing to declare the “national emergency” in the hope of bypassing Congress in funding the wall. |
| The 1976 National Emergencies Act grants a president powers to take unilateral acts in times of crisis. But any such move in this case would almost certainly face instant challenges in the courts. | The 1976 National Emergencies Act grants a president powers to take unilateral acts in times of crisis. But any such move in this case would almost certainly face instant challenges in the courts. |
| The last time Trump travelled to the Mexican border was in March when he made a much-vaunted inspection of eight 30ft-high prototypes of a border wall outside San Diego. | The last time Trump travelled to the Mexican border was in March when he made a much-vaunted inspection of eight 30ft-high prototypes of a border wall outside San Diego. |
| Four months later, the US Government Accountability Office that monitors federal services on behalf of Congress issued its report on the prototypes. The GAO found that they failed to meet several basic standards that included faulty construction and inappropriate design for difficult terrain. | Four months later, the US Government Accountability Office that monitors federal services on behalf of Congress issued its report on the prototypes. The GAO found that they failed to meet several basic standards that included faulty construction and inappropriate design for difficult terrain. |
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