Trump says border ‘far worse’ than most believe: ‘An invasion!’
President Donald Trump said Friday it would be easy for him just to declare a national emergency and find federal money to build a barrier along the southern border, but he’s not going to be so quick to do that because he thinks lawmakers can do it.
Trump says his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border supports what he sees as a crisis of drugs and crime coming across. He tweeted, “it is a far worse situation than almost anyone would understand, an invasion!”
During a visit to the Texas border this week, Trump was presented with statistics on unauthorized crossings and an array of drugs seized by agents. But the drugs were intercepted at official points of entry, not the areas where Trump wants to build a wall. And when Trump traveled to the Rio Grande, there were no signs of invading hordes.
Trump is trying to get lawmakers to fund the wall as part of ending the partial government shutdown. Trump said Friday he’s not looking to declare a national emergency to build the wall “right now.” The president further stated, “This is something Congress can do.”
Vice President Mike Pence is pledging that the Trump administration will keep fighting to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Pence made that commitment during what was meant to be a morale-boosting appearance at the Washington headquarters for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP agents are among the 800,000 federal employees who must work without pay during what is on track to become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
Pence told several dozen agents that just as they fight daily for the nation’s security, “this president and this administration will keep fighting to build the wall.”
