Jim Young/Reuters
President Donald Trump told reporters Friday there is a “good chance” that he will declare a national emergency in order to build his $5.7 billion wall along the southern border. “We’re getting ready to give out some really big contracts with money that we have on-hand and money that comes in. But we will be looking at a national emergency, because I don’t think anything’s going to happen,” Trump said at the White House. “I think the Democrats don’t want border security and then I hear them talking about the fact that walls are immoral and walls don’t work. They know they work.” He also hinted to reporters that he will announce a development related to the border wall at his upcoming State of the Union address. “I don’t want to say, you’ll hear the State of the Union and then you’ll see what happens right after the State of the Union,” Trump said.
Trump also addressed the political crisis involving Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, saying that no options were off the table for potential American intervention. “I don’t want to say that, but it’s always an option. Everything’s an option, I take no options off the table,” he said.