Graham urges Trump to reopen government – but declares national emergency if border agreement remains elusive



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President Donald Trump attends a border security roundtable with local leaders on Friday, January 11, 2019, in the White House Cabinet Room in Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP)

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) said Sunday that President Trump should agree to reopen the government and continue to try to reach an agreement with the Democrats on funding his long-promised border wall – but the president Should declare a national emergency if

In an appearance in "Fox News Sunday", Graham claimed that Trump would not give up his request for funding of more than $ 5 billion for the construction a wall along the US-Mexico border. .

But he argued that the reopening of the government and the search for a legislative solution, and then the declaration of a national emergency if these negotiations did not bear fruit, is the best way forward.

"I urge him to open. the government for a short time, about three weeks, before he disconnects. See if we can get an agreement. If we can not after three weeks, all bets are open. See "he can do it himself through emergency powers," Graham said.

Waiting three weeks would take negotiations after Trump's State of the Union speech later this month.

A new poll released by Washington Post-ABC News shows that more Americans are accusing Trump and the Republicans in Congress of closing than congressional Democrats. Fifty-three percent of respondents blame the president and the Republicans, while 29 percent blame the Democrats. Thirteen percent blame the two men equally.

More and more Americans are opposed to the idea of ​​a border wall, they found, although the margin narrowed during the year. past year.

Trump continued his arguments in favor of the wall. Tweets on Sunday morning claim that it will "lower the crime rate across the country!" He again tried to blame the Democrats, who he said were "everywhere except in Washington while people are waiting for their pay."

"I'm at the White House, I was waiting," Trump said. accusing Democrats of "having fun without even speaking!"

Trump also hinted that he was open to including protections for "dreamers" who had been illegally brought to the country as children under an agreement. Last week, Trump said he planned to wait for the Supreme Court to rule on the issue before seeking to negotiate with the Democrats on it.

"Democrats say DACA is not worth it and does not want to be part of it," Trump said. "Observe many Hispanics on the Republican side!"

As pressure to end the closure continued to increase, some Republicans on Sunday urged Trump to continue negotiating with the Democrats rather than seeking to declare a national emergency. ] Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) Said on CNN that he "would hate to see" Trump declare a national emergency to end his administration's stalemate with Democrats over a wall border.

"If we do, he will go to court and the wall will not be built," Johnson said on "The State of the Union." "I want to see this wall being built, so I want to put pressure on the Democrats so that they come to the bargaining table in good faith and fund what they have supported in the past. "

Johnson also accused Democrats of downplaying this. that he called a "crisis" at the border.

"The simplest solution to closing is simply to give President Trump the money for the money he has received from the American public," he said. "As a candidate, here is what he talked about, and if he had any mandate to demand from his election, it was better border security and the security of our country."

While Democrats and the White House continue to negotiate, Sen. Christopher A. Coons (D-Del.) Asked about "Fox News Sunday," why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), N / A not played a more active role. Although McConnell took part in the process, he was not present in front of the White House last week after the failure of Trump's talks with congressional leaders.

"Why is Mitch McConnell completely absent from these negotiations?" Asked Coons.

"I feel like I'm on the Trump of the Day Club," he said.

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