As Twitchy reported, House Democrats have presented a list of demands they expect to be met if Republicans want to avoid a government shutdown. For one, they say they won’t accept any Republican budget proposal that funds President Trump’s proposed border wall with Mexico.
.@SenSchumer to reporters on funding negotiations: "If they insist on a wall, they're insisting on a a government shut down."
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) April 24, 2017
That threat — or attempt at a threat — has a lot of politicians and pundits speculating Monday night about the wall, which obviously was a central campaign promise and many expected to be under construction by now.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, for one, made it pretty clear that there isn’t going to be a wall, or at least one solid wall from coast-to-coast. At this point, he says, the “wall” is more of a catch-all term for border security.
Sen. Lindsey Graham says they're not actually going to build a wall across the entire southern border & that it would be hard to fund.
— Emma Loop (@LoopEmma) April 24, 2017
"Border walls and fences are part of an overall plan but there will never be a 2,200-mile wall built. Period."-Sen. Lindsey Graham
— Liz Goodwin (@lizcgoodwin) April 24, 2017
The wall, explains Lindsey Graham, has become a "metaphor for border security," i.e. not a literal wall.
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 24, 2017
FWIW this is the correct policy direction for those that care about securing the border. An actual wall makes no sense in many areas. https://t.co/ILaEBkS1M8
— (((AG))) (@AG_Conservative) April 24, 2017
If I had recommended this policy in 2016, my mentions would've been Pepe frogs yelling at me to get on the MAGA Trump Train. https://t.co/cx0G2xvnFe
— Rory Cooper (@rorycooper) April 25, 2017
Lindsey Graham says a lot of things, but it seems that President Trump would be OK with moving the fight over funding the border wall, whatever it might turn out to look like, to the fall.
BREAKING: Trump now open to getting $$$ for border wall this fall, instead of via this week's spending bill w govt shutdown crisis looming.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) April 24, 2017
& on #MTP yesterday Priebus said they'd be ok w/ "either the construction or the planning or enough to get going" -> https://t.co/0mpwhFNaud https://t.co/OoDoae7lq8
— Kailani Koenig (@kailanikm) April 25, 2017
On funding the border wall, Trump said he could get it this week or the administration could come back to it in September.
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 24, 2017
WH official confirms that Trump opened door to getting WALL funding this fall, instead of this week, in meeting with conservative journos https://t.co/4NaBSVcvrj
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) April 24, 2017
"I think you're going to get a down payment on border security, generally." Sen. Portman tonight on budget/wall talks, per @daveweigel
— Robert Costa (@costareports) April 24, 2017
That’s a bit of a come-down … instead of a big, beautiful wall, Republican senators are now talking about a down-payment on some vague improvement to border security. Could some of the “wall” actually be strategically placed blimps and motion detectors instead of concrete?
Some chatter on CapHill that Trump could agree to border security provisions like blimps, fences motion detectors & call it a "wall"
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) April 24, 2017
There may even be a couple of couches pushed together. https://t.co/wY3malvbns
— Cuffy (@CuffyMeh) April 24, 2017
Or, to put it another way, policy experts got through to Trump. https://t.co/H74EjLXIcJ
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) April 24, 2017
That’s not what Trump promised, but as his approval numbers seem to show, the vast majority of those who voted for him aren’t regretting it. Some are demanding the wall, while others are fine without it if border security can be beefed up in other ways.
@ChadPergram As a Trump supporter I'd be great with that
— Escobedo (@margo_escobedo) April 24, 2017
@ChadPergram Not a wall and his voters will be pissed
— Laus Deo (@Libertea47) April 24, 2017
@ChadPergram An Israel style triple-layer fence was always better than a wall. But it can't just be "sensors" and "technology." Must be physical barrier
— Bill David (@proust1974) April 24, 2017
@ChadPergram Fence? Yes. Everything else? No. needs to be a physical barrier. Not necessarily on 100% of border, but must expand where currently exists.
— bob (@artxmaverick) April 24, 2017
@ChadPergram @RMConservative Don't care what it's made of, as long as it works.
— Lynn Ylam (@PatriotPure) April 24, 2017
@ChadPergram To hell with that. We want the damn wall!!!
— Beamin (@Beamin4Trump) April 24, 2017
Mickey Kaus is pretty sure Trump had better deliver the wall he promised.
Trump has 2 build wall. It's why his core voters put up with him! But doesn't have 2 B funded in shutdown bill. Did someone tell him it did? https://t.co/G47AGXVboV
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) April 24, 2017
If Trump doesn't get Wall built he loses much of base. If he PICKS A GRATUITOUS FIGHT ON THE WALL & THEN CAVES ON THE WALL, heaven help him.
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) April 24, 2017
@kausmickey wall fetishism
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) April 24, 2017
@jpodhoretz If so, true of both sides. Why are Dems so 100% adamantly opposed if it won't work?
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) April 24, 2017
Being 100 percent opposed to everything is the way of the resistance. But who doesn’t like drones?
"Drones." Ugh. Drones are how Gangof8ers always try 2 buy off GOP base. DT asking 4 Wall & getting drones worse than not asking #justbuildit
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) April 25, 2017
"Border security" funds instead of wall funding was always the deal. Certain WH elements wanted to fight. Others always understood reality.
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) April 25, 2017
Trump had dinner with Graham and Sen. John McCain earlier tonight … wonder if they talked about that border wall that Graham is 100 percent sure will never be built.
Pray for @POTUS. He's having dinner tonight with the McCain's and Lindsey Graham.
— John Andrus (@YahannanWings) April 24, 2017
