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his second in two days, further disagrees with his own party in Congress, where many Republicans face tough reelection fights in November. A shutdown when the government's funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections, would be the second under Washington's unified Republican control after a weekend shutdown in January.
"I would have no problem shutting down," Trump told a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. "It is time we had proper border security, we are the laughing stock of the world."
The President's comments suggest that he continues to believe that an election campaign against the "world" is not the only way to go. Immigration would trigger his base and increase his party's chances of holding power in Congress. Republican leaders disagree, hoping that they can avoid a high-level dysfunctional demonstration and focus their message on the GOP's tax cuts and the strong economy.
Trump did not hide his belief that his radical immigration policies drove him to the Oval Office, and he launched an aggressive push for additional border security measures early in the year. this year. They include $ 25 billion for the construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border, but he acknowledged Monday that his claims are a starting point. "
" I'll always leave room for negotiation. "They thought they got Trump's patience last week when they huddled at the White House to discuss strategy before the fiscal year that begins on the 1st. October
Following the meeting, Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, said: In the mid-term elections of November 6, it will not happen, he said the issue of cross-border funding in particular should probably wait after the election
House Speaker Paul Ryan told the Capitol after the meeting with Trump: "The President is willing to be patient in getting what we need so we can get there." added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it is a question of when."
But on Sunday, Trump reversed his course in a surprise tweet: "I would be ready to" close "the government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for border security, which includes the wall!"
"Must get rid of the lottery, catch & release etc. and finally go to a MERIT-based immigration system!" He tweeted
With such a short time, lawmakers seem most likely to approve a short-term funding measure to keep the government open until polling day. This would create another tax showdown during a lame duck session.
Trump said Monday that he had no "red line" for what he would require from Congress, and he did not comment on the timing.
He promised to campaign aggressively, after Labor Day, to help Republicans keep control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers do not seem to be rallying to him this time on the day.
Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are working to fund the government and that Trump's threat "is good for nothing."
He added: "It could help him, it might not help him."
Trump campaigned by promising to build a wall to deter illegal immigration and to Mexico has refused, leading Trump to turn to US taxpayers to fund the effort instead, at least for the time being.
Trump has been receiving from the US. Congress money, and will probably get more, although the total is much lower he asked.
He also wants changes to legal immigration, including the scrapping of a lottery program In addition, Trump wants to end the practice of releasing captured immigrants by illegally entering the country on the condition that they appear at court hearings and he wants to get the system through. American immigration to a system based more on individual merit and less on Democrats and some Republicans opposed these proposals.
Both chambers will have a short time to act before government funding expires at midnight on September 30.
The House is on vacation and will only come back after Labor Day. The Senate will remain in session for most of the month of August, with the exception of a break of a week scheduled for August 6. McConnell has canceled most vacancies in his chamber to allow senators to work on annual expenses. Trump's bill argues that next year, $ 5 billion will be used to build the Trump Wall.
Democrats have long opposed the financing of the wall, but do not have enough votes to block the House's approval. They have the strength to derail legislation in the very divided Senate.
The $ 5 billion far exceeds the $ 1.6 billion in the Senate version of a bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security. Trump, Ryan and McConnell agreed that Congress was on track to enact more than half of federal spending before the start of the new fiscal year
. October 1, but DHS funding, including border wall money, does not have to be settled before that date, according to a person familiar with the meeting that was not allowed to discuss it publicly and insisted on anonymity. ] [___
Lisa Mascaro, AP Congress Correspondent, and Alan Fram, Matthew Daly, Catherine Lucey and Darlene Superville, Associate Press editors, contributed to this report.
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Follow Zeke Miller on Twitter: http: //www.twitter .com / ZekeJMiller
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