Trump hints at border wall action around State of the Union Politics Asked if he expects to declare a national emergency on the wall funding issue, Trump told reporters: “I dont want to say it, but youll hear the State of the Union, and then youll see what happens right after the State of the Union.” ” W ere going to make a big step in the next week or so, prior to my doing anything, but actually having a national emergency does help the process,” he added later, speaking at a White House anti human trafficking event. Asked again if a national emergency should be expected, the President said: “I think theres a good chance that well have to do that. But we will at the same time be building, regardless, were building a wall. And were building a lot of wall. But I can do it a lot faster the other way.” “Well, Im saying listen closely to the State of the Union. I think youll find it very exciting,” Trump said. Trump had made similar comments in published Thursday. “Ill continue to build the wall and well get the wall finished,” he told the Times.
“Now whether or not I declare a national emergency that youll see.” The State of the Union date, February 5, precedes a three week government deadline of February 15 to reach a deal on border security to avoid another government shutdown. And the Presidents confidence in the bipartisan group of congressional negotiators working to reach a long term agreement on border security has continued to wane. Trump also claimed that Democrats are “not being honest” in their conference negotiations because of the forthcoming 2020 election, an idea he has previously floated without evidence. “I know the Republicans want to do something,” he said. Later Friday, a senior administration official told reporters as part of a background briefing that they had not been aware what the President would or wouldnt preview earlier in the day.
“I didnt know what he was going to say today at the press availability today,” the official said. “I havent seen today, actually, the comments that he made, but theres not a problem with addressing the speech.” The official explained the themes of the State of the Union speech in broad strokes. The official said the theme of the speech is “choosing greatness” and outlined some main areas of focus: the economy, immigration, trade deals including the US Mexico Canada Agreement and the US Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act and the deal with China infrastructure, lowering the cost of health care and prescription drugs, and national security.
source: YouTube
