In a series of tweets this morning, President Donald Trump slammed Dems on wall funding and declared “one way or the other, we will win on the Wall”:
In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death. We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
Trump then tweeted that the “United States Military will build the Wall!”:
Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA! Far more money coming to the U.S. Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
These tweets may have been prompted by “Fox & Friends” this morning where they were openly critical of the president and what looks to be his backing away from his pledge to be “proud” to shut down the government unless the wall got funded:
Fox & Friends is pushing hard for Trump to shut down the government over the border wall. Tomi Lahren says it’s “exactly what we need.” https://t.co/qtDr1pYsXw pic.twitter.com/wil6i213Yc
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
Host Steve Doocy pointed out that if the White House agrees to a continuing resolution, then there will be zero new dollars for the wall:
Steve Doocy opened the show talking about how "if he agrees to the CR," then "he won't get one-point-anything for the wall … he loses, and the Democrats will win everything they want." pic.twitter.com/O57Pap0jVn
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
The hosts did put some of the blame, rightfully so, on Republicans in Congress:
Fox & Friends says Republicans let Trump down on border wall funding: The House and Senate “are both controlled by Republicans, and the Republicans couldn’t help the president out … lame-duckers and retirements and losers haven’t come back to work.” pic.twitter.com/AWUTNaj43T
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
Brian Kilmeade asked why Trump didn’t try to use leverage on infrastructure spending to get the wall money he asked for:
Deviating slightly from his colleague, Brian Kilmeade encourages Trump to leverage infrastructure for Democratic wall support, and says “I don’t know how this [shutdown standoff] ends” pic.twitter.com/RrYauEK4UD
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
Doocey: “effectively, the Democrats win” with a CR:
Steve Doocy: “It looks as if he’s not going to get any wall money. … effectively, the Democrats win. Because they didn't want any money for wall. And the swamp wins, because runaway spending, which is in the current budget, continues.” pic.twitter.com/yOJPXkxziJ
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
They challenged Kellyanne Conway as well:
Things get a little tense on Fox & Friends when the hosts confront Kellyanne Conway about Trump’s lack of leverage and why he’s ‘softened his stance’ on the wall. Doocy finds a point of agreement that “a lot of Republicans in congress aren’t helping him” pic.twitter.com/OTYnIFtVrx
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
And:
Kellyanne Conway absurdly claims that the impending government shutdown is unrelated to Trump's border wall pic.twitter.com/tJNcFcf8Ph
— Bobby Lewis (@revrrlewis) December 19, 2018
Earlier, Conway told reporters that the White House would consider a CR, but that didn’t mean the White House was backing down:
.@KellyannePolls says @realDonaldTrump is open to a February 8 stopgap to avoid a #shutdown, contending that it "doesn't mean that the president is backing down" https://t.co/dGkJsCelbq pic.twitter.com/SWDqz0zzoI
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) December 19, 2018
But it sounds like GOP senators are at least anticipating that Trump will sign it:
Q: Are you convinced Pres Trump will sign a CR?
THUNE: “I’m not convinced of that, I’m hopeful.”
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 19, 2018
And Chuck Schumer warned that using the military to build the wall is not a given:
Schumer: Let me be very clear: the administration cannot reprogram funds appropriated by Congress for the full wall without our assent, to do so would violate Congress’ Article I powers. They cannot do it on their own..it won’t happen.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) December 19, 2018
To be continued.
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