Trump to insist on border wall funds as budget deadline looms

Donald Trump’s central campaign promise to build a wall on the Mexican border threatens to bring the US government to a halt as the President pressed for funding

Donald Trump’s key campaign pledge to build a wall on the US border with Mexico could lead to an American government shutdown
Donald Trump’s key campaign pledge to build a wall on the US border with Mexico could lead to an American government shutdown

US President Donald Trump pressed for the funding of a Mexico border wall on Sunday as a looming spending showdown in Congress threatens to shut down the US government on the president's 100th day in office.

On Sunday, even White House officials expressed uncertainty about whether the President would sign a funding bill that did not include money for a wall.

Building the wall was Trump's signature campaign promise, and the White House appeared determined to get Congress to approve a down payment as part of a bigger bill to keep the US government funded.

Trump weighed in on Twitter, insisting Mexico will pay for the wall "but at a later date so we can get started early."

 “Eventually, but at a later date so we can get started early, Mexico will be paying, in some form, for the badly needed border wall,” the President tweeted, without offering a plan or timeline.

"The Democrats don't want money from budget going to border wall despite the fact that it will stop drugs and very bad MS 13 gang members," he added.

Trump has requested $1.4 billion (€1.29 billion) to start the construction of the wall.

White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney said the administration is prepared to make concessions to Democrats on health care reform in order to get the wall money.

"Don't know yet," Mulvaney said on Fox News Sunday. "We are asking for our priorities and importantly we are offering to give Democrats some of their priorities as well."

Without a deal, funding for the government will run out at midnight on 28 April, Trump’s 100th day in office. The secretary of homeland security, John Kelly, told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday he suspected the President would push for the wall.

 “It goes without saying that the President has been pretty straightforward about his desire and the need for a border wall so I would suspect – he’ll do the right thing for sure – but I suspect he will be insistent on the funding,” Kelly said. 

If Congress does not send Trump a government funding bill by midnight on Friday, the US Government would run out of money and would be forced to shut down.

During Bill Clinton's administration, there were two full government shutdowns during 1995 and 1996 as politicians squabbled over the US budget deficit.

There was also a federal shutdown under Barack Obama as Republicans tried to delay and defund the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, from signed into law.