Day 13 of partial government shutdown: Dems prepare to pass funding plan, Pres. Trump digs in
WASHINGTON — House Democrats prepared Thursday to pass a plan to re-open government without funding President Donald Trump's promised border wall, as President Trump pledged to keep up the fight for his signature promise in a surprise appearance.President Trump strode into the White House briefing room on the 13th day of the partial government shutdown, declaring that "without a wall you cannot have border security." He then left without taking questions from reporters.President Trump is demanding billions of dollars to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, which the Democrats have refused.
Secret Service: Man arrested at Mar-a-Lago wanted to talk to Pres. Trump about 'his $6.3 trillion'
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Authorities said a man was arrested for trespassing after he drove up to President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, told a Secret Service agent he was there to talk to the president about "his $6.3 trillion" and refused to leave.Florida court documents show 30-year-old Brian Whitehurst pulled up to the president's resort Sunday afternoon, Dec. 30 and told Secret Service Agent Tim Donohue he needed to talk to the president about the trillions of dollars.
No deal to end shutdown: President Trump says 'could be a long time'
WASHINGTON — No one budged at President Donald Trump's White House meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday, so the partial government shutdown persisted through a 12th day over his demand for billions of dollars to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
'Let's make a deal?' Pres. Trump invites congressional leaders to White House amid shutdown
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday invited congressional leaders to a White House briefing on border security as the partial government shutdown dragged on over funding for a border wall, with President Trump tweeting, "Let's make a deal?"The briefing will happen at 2 p.m. CT Wednesday, Jan. 2, the day before the Democrats take control of the House, but the exact agenda wasn't immediately clear, according to a person with knowledge of the briefing who was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Republican leaders will be attending.
Chief of staff Kelly: President Trump backed away from wall months ago
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump long ago backed away from his campaign pledge to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, his outgoing chief of staff said, as the president's demand for "border security" funding triggered a partial government shutdown with no end in sight.John Kelly, who will leave his post Wednesday after a tumultuous 17 months in the job, said in an exit interview with the Los Angeles Times that President Trump abandoned the notion of "a solid concrete wall early on in the administration." It marked the starkest admission yet by the president's inner circle that his signature campaign pledge, which sparked fervent chants of "build that wall" during President Trump's rallies and is now at the center of a budgetary standoff, would not be fulfilled as advertised."To be honest, it's not a wall," Kelly said, adding the mix of technological enhancements and 'steel slat' barriers the president now wants along the border resulted from conversations with law enforcement professionals on the ground.The partial shutdown began Dec. 22 after President Trump bowed to conservative demands that he fight to make good on his vow and secure funding for the wall before Republicans lose control of the House on Wednesday.
Putin tells President Trump he's open to meeting in New Year's letter
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin has told U.S. President Donald Trump in a New Year's letter that the Kremlin is "open to dialogue" on the myriad issues hindering relations between their countries.The Kremlin published a summary of Putin's "greeting message" to President Trump on Sunday.
President Trump blames Democrats, not his administration, for child border deaths
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump claims that two Guatemalan children who died in U.S. custody were already ill, yet both young migrants passed initial health screenings by border officials.As Democrats criticized Trump for also tweeting Saturday that Democratic immigration policies were responsible for the deaths, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen visited medical officials and Border Patrol agents at the southern border in Arizona and Texas amid promises of additional wellness screenings for migrant children.In Guatemala, the mother of 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo, who died Christmas Eve, told The Associated Press that her son was healthy when he left with his father on their journey hoping to migrate to the U.S."When he called me, he told me he was fine.
'We are far apart:' President Trump, Democrats play the blame game in 2nd shutdown weekend
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Democrats are trading blame for the partial government shutdown but doing little substantive talking with each other as the disruption in federal services and public employees' pay slogs into another weekend.President Trump upped the brinkmanship by threatening anew to close the border with Mexico to press Congress to cave to his demand for money to pay for a wall.
Furious Iraqi lawmakers demand US troop withdrawal in wake of President Trump's visit
BAGHDAD — President Donald Trump's surprise trip to Iraq may have quieted criticism at home that he had yet to visit troops in a combat zone, but it has infuriated Iraqi politicians who on Thursday demanded the withdrawal of U.S. forces."Arrogant" and an "a violation of national sovereignty" were but a few examples of the disapproval emanating from Baghdad following President Trump's meeting Wednesday with U.S. servicemen and women at the al-Asad Airbase.Trips by U.S. presidents to conflict zones are typically shrouded in secrecy and subject to strict security measures, and President Trump's was no exception.
President Trump in Iraq on 1st visit to troops in troubled region
IRAQ -- President Donald Trump made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Wednesday, leaving behind a partially shuttered U.S. government to greet American troops helping hold off extremists in a country where thousands of Americans died during the recent war.It comes a week after President Trump stunned his national security advisers by announcing that he would withdraw U.S. troops from neighboring Syria where they have been fighting Islamic State militants.
Day after Christmas, Pres. Trump signals no end to shutdown: 'You have to have a wall'
WASHINGTON — A shutdown affecting parts of the federal government appeared no closer to resolution Wednesday, with President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats locked in a hardening standoff over border wall money that threatens to carry over into January.President Trump vowed to hold the line, telling reporters as he flew to Iraq that he'll do "whatever it takes" to get money for border security.
No end in sight to partial government shutdown
WASHINGTON — Christmas has come and gone but the partial government shutdown is just getting started.Wednesday brings the first full business day after several government departments and agencies closed up over the weekend due to a budgetary stalemate between President Donald Trump and Congress.
President Trump: Government stays closed as long as Democrats reject border wall
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says parts of the government will stay shut as long as Democrats refuse to build more barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border, seemingly dashing hope for a Christmas miracle that would soon allow several departments to reopen and employees to return to work.Asked when the government would reopen, President Trump said: "I can't tell you when the government's going to be open.
'We love what you do:' President Trump offers holiday greetings to US troops
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday wished U.S. troops stationed around the country and the world a merry Christmas."I know it's a great sacrifice for you to be away from your families, but I want you to know that every American family is eternally grateful to you, and we're holding you close in our hearts, thoughts and prayers," President Trump said. "We love what you do and love your work.
President Trump tweets he's alone at White House waiting for Dems deal on Christmas Eve
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump was meeting with his Homeland Security secretary and other officials on Monday to discuss border security issues as a partial government shutdown over his U.S.-Mexico border wall entered Christmas without a clear resolution in sight.Though both sides have traded offers over the dollars, they remain far apart on the wall.
Sides in fight over funding border wall move closer to each other, but no resolution in sight
WASHINGTON — Both sides in the long-running fight over funding President Donald Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall appear to have moved toward each other, but a shutdown of one-fourth of the federal government entered Christmas without a clear resolution in sight.In fact, a top White House official warned the shutdown could stretch into January.Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who is also the budget director, said he was waiting to hear from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York about a counteroffer the White House presented Schumer over the weekend.Mulvaney would only say the offer was between Trump's $5.7 billion request and $1.3 billion Democrats have offered."We moved off of the five and we hope they move up from their 1.3," Mulvaney said less than a day after a senior administration official insisted that Congress would have to cave into Trump's demand for the shutdown to end, highlighting Trump's unpredictable negotiating style.Schumer's office said the parties remained "very far apart."Sen.
After criticism, President Trump pushes out James Mattis sooner than planned
WASHINGTON -- Irritated with the criticism and fallout from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' resignation, President Donald Trump on Sunday pushed the Pentagon chief out the door two months earlier than planned, an acrimonious end to a tense relationship that had been eroding in recent months.In a series of tweets, President Trump appeared to question why he had put Mattis in his Cabinet in the first place and said Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will take over as acting secretary on Jan. 1 to cover the accelerated departure.
White House: President Trump would accept less money for border wall
WASHINGTON — A top White House official signaled Sunday that President Donald Trump is willing to accept less money than he's been demanding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, but a senior congressional Democrat said that, while their own offer could be sweetened, they still will not agree to a wall.The back and forth across the television airwaves did little to inspire hope that a Christmas season closure of some federal government operations would end later this week, when the House and Senate are scheduled to meet again.In fact, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney warned that the shutdown could stretch into January, when a new Congress is seated.Mulvaney, who also runs the White House budget office, said he's awaiting a response from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York after the administration on Saturday presented Schumer with a counteroffer in the long-running dispute over funding the wall.Mulvaney withheld specifics but placed the offer at between President Trump's $5.7 billion request and $1.3 billion Democrats are offering."We moved off of the five and we hope they move up from their 1.3," Mulvaney said.The director's comment about the president's softening stance came less than 24 hours after a senior administration official insisted to reporters on Saturday that Congress give into President Trump's demands, highlighting the unpredictable nature of President Trump's negotiating style.Sen.
'Anything can happen:' Government unlikely to get fully back to business for days
WASHINGTON — The federal government is expected to remain partially closed past Christmas Day in a protracted standoff over President Donald Trump's demand for money to build a border wall with Mexico.On the second day of the federal closure, President Trump tweeted Sunday that what the country needs is "a good old fashioned WALL that works," as opposed to aerial drones and other measures that "are wonderful and lots of fun" not the right answer to address the problem of "drugs, gangs, human trafficking, criminal elements and much else from coming into" the United States.With President Trump's insistence on $5 billion for the wall and negotiations with Democrats in Congress far from a breakthrough, even a temporary measure to keep the government running while talks continued seems out of reach until the Senate returns for a full session Thursday.From coast to coast, the first day of the shutdown played out in uneven ways.
Shutdown expected to drag into Christmas as standoff deepens
WASHINGTON — The federal government was expected to remain partially shut down well into Christmas as the standoff deepened Saturday over President Donald Trump's demand for funds to build a border wall with Mexico.With President Trump's insistence on $5 billion for the wall and negotiations with Democrats in Congress far from a breakthrough, even a temporary measure to keep the government running while talks continued seemed out of reach until the Senate returned for a full session Thursday.From coast to coast, the first day of the shutdown played out in uneven ways.