MAKE IT STOP

Trump: Government Shutdown Could Last a ‘Long Time’

The president stuck to his demand of $5.6 billion for a border wall.

President Trump said Wednesday that the shutdown will last “as long as it takes” to get $5.6 billion for the border wall, according to a report from the Associated Press. “Could be a long time or could be quickly,” Trump said, while speaking at the first White House Cabinet meeting of 2019. Throughout the meeting, both Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen attacked immigrants. Nielsen claimed that “fake families” are attempting to enter the country, while Trump insisted, without evidence, that 30 to 35 million people are living in the United States illegally. Trump also reiterated the need for a border wall–“Walls work”—and said he wouldn’t accept less than $2.5 billion. “No, not $2.5, no. We’re asking for $5.6. And you know, somebody said 2.5,” Trump said, apparently ignorant of the fact that his own administration offered Democrats $2.5 billion in border security last week.

Trump also floated a few new arguments for the wall, including that building a wall was really about “health and wellness,” and that it can’t be immoral if the Vatican has one, too. “When they say the wall is immoral, then you better do something about the Vatican. The Vatican has the biggest wall of them all,” Trump said, adding that “They work 100 percent. Never going to change. A wall is a wall.”

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Asawin Suebsaeng