Trump, in his very first prime-time speech at prime time, deplores the "heart attack and soul crisis" at the border

President Trump used his first prime-time speech at the Oval Office Tuesday night to argue for funding a southern border wall, as well as to highlight the human cost of what he called " strengthening of humanitarian security and security ". "Growing Clandestine Immigration" Crisis

The speech, followed a few moments later by a rebuttal of Senate Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, drew lines Apparently deep, while Republicans and Democrats are meeting Wednesday to continue negotiations to end the current partial closure of the federal government on the financing of the Border Wall, now in its third week, Trump said the closure could last. years "if no agreement is reached."

Noting that "more Americans will die of drugs this year than dead throughout the war in Vietnam," said the president, who directly examined the camera, called for the closure of the pipeline that allows "large amounts of illicit drugs – including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and fentanyl" tr

"Every week, 300 of our citizens are killed by heroin alone – 90% of them flooded Trump, who signed a bipartite opioid bill, made notice at the beginning of his speech.

He continued, "It's a humanitarian crisis – a heart attack and a crisis Last month, 20,000 migrant children were smuggled into the United States – a dramatic increase." These children are used as pawns Vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs One in three women are sexually assaulted in dangerous Mexico Women and children are by far the greatest victims of our crumbling system. "

President pays tribute to several Americans killed by illegal immigrants, whose cap. Ronil Singh, who was murdered the day after Christmas, was reportedly killed by an illegal immigrant suspected of driving while intoxicated. The suspect had already been arrested several times and Republicans accused Singh of California's sanctuary laws, which prevent local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

"The heart of America broke on Boxing Day when a young policeman An officer in California was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien who just crossed the border," he said. Trump said. "The life of an American hero was stolen by someone who was not allowed to be in our country."

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Trump added: "In California, an air force veteran was raped, murdered and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with criminal background In Georgia, an illegal alien has recently been charged with murder, decapitation and dismemberment of his neighbor In Maryland, MS-13 gang members who arrived in the United States as unaccompanied minors were arrested and indicted last year for viciously stabbing and beating a 16-year-old girl.

"Rich politicians … do not build walls because they hate people on the outside, but because they like people in the interior. "

– President Trump

" In recent years, I have met dozens of families whose loved ones have been stolen. through illegal immigration, "Trump continued." I held hand f mothers crying and kissed the grieving fathers. So sad. So terrible. I will never forget the pain in their eyes, the trembling of their voices or the sadness that plagues their souls. How much more American blood must be paid before Congress does its work? "

Apparently, responding to Pelosi's widely commented comment that a wall would be immoral, Trump remarked," Some have suggested that a barrier is immoral. So why do rich politicians build walls, fences and fences around their homes? They do not build walls because they hate people from the outside but because they like people from the inside. "

In a joint response broadcast on national television broadcast a few minutes later, Pelosi, D-Calif., And Schumer, DN.Y. condemned Trump's rhetoric and his" obsession "with building a border wall

"Much of what President Trump told us throughout this senseless closure was full of misinformation and even mischief," said Pelosi., Standing next to Schumer, charged. President chose fear. We want to start with the facts. "

" The fact is that: from the first day of this Congress, Democrats in the House passed a Republican Senate law aimed at reopening the government and funding smart and effective solutions for border security " said Pelosi, referring to bills not including the Trump border wall funding.

"But the president rejects those bipartisan bills that would reopen the government – because of his obsession with Forcing American taxpayers to waste billions of dollars with a costly and ineffective investment. wall – a wall that he had always promised Mexico to pay, "continued Pelosi.

Schumer went on to add, "There is an obvious solution: to separate the closure of border security discussions. There is bipartisan legislation – backed by Democrats and Republicans – aimed at reopening the government while allowing the debate on border security to continue.

"The symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a wall of thirty feet," concluded Schumer. "So, our suggestion is simple, Mr. President: reopen the government and we can work to resolve our border security disputes, but put an end to this closure now."

On social media, the National Republican Congress Committee (NRCC) called for strong support from Schumer and Pelosi for funding the Wall of Borders and appeared to join other Twitter users mocking the behavior of the two senators during their response. (A widely circulated article is based on an image of Pelosi and Schumer as if the two men appeared in a low-budget law firm ad: "If a mesothelioma was diagnosed in you or a loved one, right to financial compensation. ")

And conservative commentator Ben Shaprio likened Pelosi's and Schumer's eyes to that of fictional fictional villains from the James Bond spy franchise. Others compared the two to the aristocratic character Lucille Bluth in the comic television series "Arrested Development".

Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, widely regarded as a potential presidential candidate for 2020, delivered his own rebuttal that affirmed climate change and health care are more urgent crises than immigration. illegal. Sanders listed a range of people likely to suffer if the closure continued.

"The security of our country's airports could be jeopardized if TSA employees and air traffic controllers are not paid," said Sanders. "Want a national emergency? 30 million Americans do not have health insurance and many others are underinsured."

Negotiations should continue throughout the week to address the closure issue, which has forced 380,000 federal workers to be resettled working without pay. On Wednesday, Fox News learned that Trump would travel to Capitol Hill for a political luncheon with Senate Republicans. Congress leaders from both parties were invited to the White House for an hour in the afternoon.

The president, in his speech on Tuesday, said the wall "will pay off very quickly" partly because the cost of "illegal drugs exceeds $ 500 billion a year – much more than the $ 5.7 million dollars. " billions of dollars we asked Congress. "Trump added that" the wall will also be paid, indirectly, by the great new trade agreement we have with Mexico. "

On Thursday, Trump is planning a personal visit to the Mexican border, where his government said that a "crisis" of illegal immigration was worsening by the day.

In response to Trump's speech, the Republican Senate leaders – who said they will not pass the Democrats' spending bill without funding the border wall – reaffirmed that they had defended the White House's position.

"Tonight, President Trump has reaffirmed his commitment to resolve the humanitarian and security crisis on the southern border of our country." The Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Said in a statement: "His proposal to increase security through physical barriers fits the reality on the ground. Border Patrol Career experts support and demand, and this only builds on earlier legislation that Democratic Senators such as Senators Obama, Clinton and Schumer, and Senator Schumer had previously enthusiastically supported. "

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McConnell continued: "These past eighteen days have shown that the Democrats' refusal to negotiate was not due to an objection in principle, but simply to a grudge against the president. For the men and women of the Border Patrol, for the safety of American families and for all Americans who deserve a fully functioning federal government, I sincerely hope that my Democratic colleagues will sit down at the table. and help bring a solution.

Some legal and political analysts were less enthusiastic. "As expected, [Trump’s address] was responsible for emotional appeals, with the president presenting a horrific parade," John Cerone, professor of international law at Fletcher School, told Fox News. He added that a wall would have only a "limited effectiveness" compared to other options.

"In the end, the only way to stop irregular migration is to give people hope for regular migration," Cerone said. "Expanding regular flyways, especially through the creation of new employment visas and raising the boundaries of existing categories, is a win-win situation."

The number of illegal border crossings increased from 1.6 million in 2000 to less than 400,000 last year. However, the number of families crossing the border has risen sharply, putting a strain on health services and immigration services, which are particularly worrying with the deaths of two migrant children in December.

The figures of the administration showed that 161,000 family units were crossed. at the border in 2018, an increase of 50% over the previous year. Homeland Security officials also said 60,000 unaccompanied children had crossed the border last year, an increase of 25 percent.

After a meeting with the Democrats this weekend, the White House released a series of budget demands, including a new $ 800,000 request for humanitarian needs. But most importantly, Trump still wants his wall, which Democrats have called immoral and which provides no solution to illegal immigration.

In a preventive move, the White House announced Monday that tax refunds would be paid despite the closure.

Emphasizing that he was not giving up his security argument, Trump said in a fundraising e-mail on Tuesday: "I want to clarify one thing to Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi: Your security It's neither a political game nor a bargaining tactic! "

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For its part, Pelosi is also open to the White House. She reportedly had a tense confrontation with Nielsen on Wednesday in the situation room, interrupting Nielsen's presentation on border security and illegal immigration, saying, "I reject your facts."

In her brief response speech Tuesday night, Pelosi used the word "facts" six times, in an effort to contrast with what she called the "fear" rhetoric of Trump

"The The fact is that women and children on the border are not a threat to security, but a humanitarian challenge – a challenge that President Trump's cruel and counter-productive policies have only deepened. "said Pelosi.