Trump Says He Has No Choice But to Continue with Government Shutdown

January 1, 2019 Focus Washington Politics

President Donald Trump on Monday said that he is “not giving up” on getting funding for his border wall, adding that he has “no choice” but to continue the government shutdown over the wall.

“We are not giving up. We have to have border security. And the wall is a big part of border security — the biggest part,” he said during an interview on Fox News’s “All American New Year” with Pete Hegseth that aired on New Year’s Eve.

Trump also said in the interview that he is “ready to go” and willing to negotiate with Democratic leaders in Congress.

“I’m ready, willing and able. I’m in the White House,” he said. “I’m ready to go. They can come over right now. They could have come over any time. I spent Christmas in the White House. I spent New Year’s Eve now in the White House. I’m here. I’m ready to go.”

Meanwhile, the government is in a partial shutdown since Dec. 22, with lawmakers unable to come to an agreement over Trump’s demand for $5 billion in funding for a wall along the southern border.

Trump did not say during the Fox News interview whether he is still looking for the full $5 billion in funding.

Democrats, who will gain control of the House when the new Congress takes office this week, have said they will not agree to fund a wall.

Trump also took to Twitter on Monday evening to push for the wall, saying that “without the Wall, there can be no Border Security” and predicting that Democrats won’t offer to fund the wall.

“The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall. You see, without the Wall, there can be no Border Security – the Tech ‘stuff’ is just, by comparison, meaningless bells & whistles,” he tweeted.

“Remember this. Throughout the ages, some things NEVER get better and NEVER change. You have Walls and you have Wheels. It was ALWAYS that way and it will ALWAYS be that way! Please explain to the Democrats that there can NEVER be a replacement for a good old-fashioned WALL!” he continued.