Not Afraid: President Trump Willing to Shut Down Government Over Border Wall

On Monday, President Trump stuck to his guns, on a border wall and a shutdown of the government.

He ain’t skeerd!

During a press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, he said both he and Conte are “united in (their) conviction that strong nations must have strong borders.” He also said this:

“As far as the border is concerned, and personally, if we don’t get border security, after many, many years of talk within the United States, I would have no problem doing a shutdown.”

Trump’s comments follow his Sunday tweet assuring voters he’s committed to fulfilling promises made during his 2016 presidential campaign:

“I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!”

I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018

I’ts been a LONG TIME COMING. Trump’s right — “many years.” Just a little walk down memory lane for ya:

SECURE THE BORDER! BUILD A WALL!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2014

We must build a wall to secure our border. It will save lives and help Make America Great Again! https://t.co/u25yI5T7E8

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2015

Big WIN today for building the wall. It will secure the border & save lives. Now the full House & Senate must act! ➡️https://t.co/TTg7lvBdo2 pic.twitter.com/xhiknXko70

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2017

We need the Wall for the safety and security of our country. We need the Wall to help stop the massive inflow of drugs from Mexico, now rated the number one most dangerous country in the world. If there is no Wall, there is no Deal!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2018

But not everyone is psyched about a secure border:

FWIW, this is the only #TrumpWall pic.twitter.com/UPSsMwfwZ8

— Dr John (@jp_dutch) July 26, 2018

As of now, government funding will run out a little over a month before the midterm elections.

Although the GOP controls the Senate and House, we still have no immigration reform.

And if we’re headed toward a blue wave, the midterms ain’t gonna help make positive change.

Some congressional Republicans don’t wanna rock the boat ’til after the election. But what if the GOP loses control? Trump is ready to rock n’ roll NOW:

“It’s time we had proper border security. We’re the laughing stock of the world. We have the worst immigration laws anywhere in the world … It’s disgraceful.”

He’s set for a showdown:

“The whole thing is ridiculous. And we have to change our laws. We do that through Congress. … I would certainly be willing to close it down to get it done.”

The President explained that, while border security “includes many things” besides the wall, he’s willing to “leave room for negotiation.” But he’s ready to get goin’, and a shutdown isn’t out of the question.

I think Trump is right to stand his ground. That’s what got him elected; that’s what his supporters want. He’s not going to convert a left-winger by tiptoeing around, so he’d might as well go bold to get things done. I think he would have done well not to publicly state the words “shut down,” because that’s something for the media to grab in order to put the blame of an impasse on him. But I believe he’s smart to hold out.

Who knows if it’ll be easier after the election? A lot of stats and history suggest it isn’t gonna go well for Republicans.

But maybe — just maybe — November will be like Moses parting the waters: it looks like a blue wave, but it’s actually the Red Sea.

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