Trump panders to Dems, wall doesn’t have to be concrete – maybe steel
While the world holds its breath for Mexico to pay for the wall, Trump tries to finesse Dems with double-talk on the barrier.
Donald Trump continues to insist on the USA funding a wall along the southern border of Mexico. Here is the twist: He now says it could be made of steel instead of concrete as a potential compromise with Democrats who refuse to fund the wall under any circumstance.
As the ongoing government shutdown continues, Donald Trump continues to insist on the USA funding a wall along the southern border of Mexico. Here is the twist: He now says it could be made of steel instead of concrete as a potential compromise with Democrats who refuse to fund the wall under any circumstance.
READ MORE: Trump continues tantrum over border wall, uses wall at Obama’s DC home as excuse for funding
“The barrier, or the wall, can be of steel instead of concrete, if that helps people. It may be better,” Trump said.
The standoff has resulted in a third week of the shutdown of many federal government department and has has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks and, in some cases, working without pay.
According to Reuters, Trump who has been rich since birth, said he could relate to the workers who would have trouble paying bills because of the shutdown.
Democrats, who took over the House last week and are led by Nancy Pelosi, consider the wall to be immoral and have declined to approve the $5.6 billion Trump wants for the wall that he repeatedly insisted during the 2016 campaign that Mexico would “happily” pay for.
READ MORE: Nancy Pelosi: “Race” a factor in Republican opposition to immigration reform
The White House warned again that the shutdown could last for some time – with Trump claiming he would keep the government shutdown for “years” – while suggesting that the offer of a steel barrier was an olive branch to Democrats.
Agreeing to a steel separation would allow Democrats to stick to their refusal to fund a wall.
“That should help us move in the right direction,” Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s acting chief of staff, told NBC’s Meet the Press. Democrats would likely demand other concessions, like protections for immigrants brought to the United States as children, otherwise known as Dreamers, or changes to other spending provisions.
READ MORE: Logic brings a stage full of shade to the Trump immigration debacle
Vice President Mike Pence is leading a second round of talks with congressional aides on Sunday about the issue, but Trump said he did not expect those talks to produce results.
