WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Thursday to ratchet up his demands on his long-stalled border wall, appearing to sour on congressional talks aimed at striking a deal with Democrats that he could sign.
In a barrage of morning tweets, Trump sent mixed messages in which he alternately hardened his wall demand, but also suggested that repairing existing fencing is a big part of his plan.
"Lets just call them WALLS from now on and stop playing political games! A WALL is a WALL!," Trump tweeted.
Trump's tweets came a day after Democrats in the House offered a vague border security plan that would not provide a penny for his wall, ignoring — for now — his warnings that they'd be wasting their time if they don't come up with wall money.
The Democratic offer Wednesday was just a starting point in House-Senate talks on border security funding that kicked off in a basement room in the Capitol. A top Democrat acknowledged that "everything is on the table," including the border barriers demanded by Trump. Lawmakers on both sides flashed signs of flexibility, eager to demonstrate willingness to compromise in hopes of resolving the standoff with Trump that sparked the 35-day partial government shutdown.
But Trump on Thursday tamped down expectations, telling GOP negotiators that they were "wasting their time."
"Democrats, despite all of the evidence, proof and Caravans coming, are not going to give money to build the DESPERATELY needed WALL. I've got you covered. Wall is already being built, I don't expect much help!" Trump tweeted.
The high-stakes talks are taking place against the backdrop of another possible shutdown in mid-February — an outcome Trump's GOP allies in the Senate are especially eager to avoid.
Trump and the White House have proven to be an unpredictable force in the shutdown debate, mixing softer rhetoric about a multi-faceted approach to border security with campaign-style bluster about the wall. Lawmakers negotiating the bill are well aware that he could move to quash an agreement at any time, plunging them back into crisis.
Still, Trump's request for $5.7 billion to build about 234 miles of barriers along the U.S. border with Mexico faces uphill odds. Even Trump's GOP allies acknowledge he may only get a fraction of it. The Democratic plan includes new money for customs agents, scanners, aircraft and boats to police the border, and to provide humanitarian assistance for migrants.
"Democrats are once again supporting strong border security as an essential component of homeland security. Border security, however, is more than physical barriers; and homeland security is more than border security," said Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif.
