President Trump is planning to use a trip immediately following his State of the Union address to visit prototypes of his coveted border wall.
The post-speech trip, a high-profile sojourn where the president usually attempts to rally the country behind the agenda he pitches to Congress, will give the president a first-hand look at construction he spoke about at length during his campaign.
It follows a Friday White House demand that Democrats agree to $18 billion in wall construction in exchange for any deal to protect so-called DREAMers who came here illegally as children.
President Trump is planning a trip to California to view prototypes of the border wall as his White House demands $18 billion in funding for the controversial project
He will visit the wall types already up for viewing in San Diego after his January 30th speech, Axios reported. Aides say Trump has been insisting ‘Wall, or no deal,’ according to the report.
The White House’s hard line demand on the wall set Democrats fuming Friday.
Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois called the demand ‘outrageous’ and threatened a government shutdown.
‘Latest White House demand on immigration: $18 billion for a border wall. Outrageous. President Trump has said he may need a good government shutdown to get his wall. With this demand, he seems to be heading in that direction,’ Durbin tweeted.
‘We hope that we’re going to be able to work out an arrangement with the Democrats,’ he said. ‘It’s something, certainly, that I’d like to see happen.’
The trip is to follow Trump’s first formal State of the Union address. Here Trump addresses a joint session of the U.S. Congress on February 28, 2017 in the House chamber of the U.S. Capitol
Trump wants $18billion in border wall funding over 10 years to make a deal to protect DACA recipients. Pictured: Southern border wall prototypes near San Diego
Senator Dick Durbin (above), the number two Senate Democrat, called Trump’s demand for $18 billion in border wall funding ‘outrageous’ and threatened a government shutdown
Trump in September ordered the ending of President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and set a six-month deadline. Democrats and some Republicans are pushing to have it preserved.
The White House’s other conditions are ending ‘chain migration’ and the diversity lottery program.
Trump tweeted out his demands just before the new year.
TALL ORDER: The border wall prototypes were built east of San Ysidro on the border of Mexico, shown here on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017
MUST BE HIGH: The border wall prototypes were built east of San Ysidro on the border of Mexico, shown here on Monday, Nov. 20, 2017
‘The Democrats have been told, and fully understand, that there can be no DACA without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border and an END to the horrible Chain Migration & ridiculous Lottery System of Immigration etc. We must protect our Country at all cost!’ he wrote.
Trump sounded more upbeat Saturday as he huddled with Republican leaders at Camp David.
‘We hope that we’re going to be able to work out an arrangement with the Democrats,’ the president said. ‘It’s something, certainly, that I’d like to see happen.’
There are currently eight prototypes in the desert near San Diego. Four are made of concrete and four are made of other materials.