Trump tweeted on Friday that the situation on the Mexican border was "an invasion" and insisting that without a wall, "our Country cannot be safe. But unable to persuade opposition Democrats to give him the money, Trump refused three weeks ago to sign off on a large chunk of unrelated government funding. Trump hoped the shutdown would pressure Congress into giving him the wall money but the Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, haven't budged, saying they won't even discuss wall funding before government is fully reopened. On Thursday, Trump took his message to the Texas border with Mexico and insisted once more that he has "the absolute right to declare a national emergency." Using typically polarizing language, Trump spoke in McAllen, Texas, on Thursday of cross-border criminals pouring into the country to commit murder.

Source: Bangkok Post January 11, 2019 19:41 UTC