Trump heading to southern border as shutdown drags on
President Trump will visit the southern border Thursday, as the battle over funding for his border wall and the partial government shutdown continue.
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders announced Monday that Mr. Trump will travel to the border on Thursday, although she didn't say exactly where he will be. Mr. Trump's White House is now demanding $5.7 billion for a steel barrier at the border, while Democrats say they won't fund his wall. The partial government shutdown, affecting not just the Department of Homeland Security but also the IRS, Department of the Interior and other agencies, is now in its third week with no end in sight.
"President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis. More details will be announced soon," Sanders tweeted Monday.
There are no talks on any public schedule at the White House Monday, and Congress isn't back in session until Tuesday. Representatives from the White House and from Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill did meet on the White House grounds Saturday and Sunday, but that yielded little progress.
Mr. Trump has visited the border in the past. Last year, he visited San Diego to look at wall prototypes.
It's unclear exactly what he will be doing with this visit, although Sanders said more details will be forthcoming.
The president held an hour-long press conference last week, fielding journalists' questions on the wall and hundreds of thousands of federal employees — including border patrol agents — working without pay. Mr. Trump now says he'll accept "steel slats" instead of a "concrete" wall, although that change doesn't appear acceptable to Democrats.
This is a developing story and will be updated.