by Evie Fordham
President Donald Trump predicted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) could become a larger factor in his border wall funding fight during a flurry of tweets Sunday morning.
“Democrats are saying that DACA is not worth it and don’t want to include in talks,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side, watch!”
Democrats are saying that DACA is not worth it and don’t want to include in talks. Many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side, watch!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019
Trump continued to call out Democrats for punting on negotiations to end the shutdown, perhaps referring to the roughly 30 Democratic lawmakers reportedly attending a retreat with lobbyists in Puerto Rico, according to the Washington Examiner.
“I’m in the White House, waiting. The Democrats are everywhere but Washington as people await their pay. They are having fun and not even talking!” he wrote.
I’m in the White House, waiting. The Democrats are everywhere but Washington as people await their pay. They are having fun and not even talking!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans need to “abandon” border wall funding if they want to reopen the government since the start of the shutdown. But DACA advocates including Dreamer Hilario Yanez, who was interviewed on Fox News Wednesday night, said he supports a border wall and sees “opportunities for compromise.”
Trump spoke with Jeanine Pirro during “Justice with Judge Jeanine” Saturday on Fox News and deflected questions about when he would use emergency powers to stop the record-setting partial government shutdown. His Sunday tweets showed he still has hope he can work out a deal with Democrats.
“The damage done to our Country from a badly broken Border — Drugs, Crime and so much that is bad — is far greater than a Shutdown, which the Dems can easily fix as soon as they come back to Washington!” he wrote Sunday morning.
The damage done to our Country from a badly broken Border – Drugs, Crime and so much that is bad – is far greater than a Shutdown, which the Dems can easily fix as soon as they come back to Washington!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 13, 2019
Trump could try to use emergency powers to bring the shutdown to a close, but such an action is likely to be challenged in court. The president said he is open to using emergency powers but has also said the shutdown could last “months or even years.”
The partial shutdown was triggered after a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government expired Dec. 21. At the center of the funding battle is approximately $5 billion in funding for the border wall the president wants to build.
He and his proxies had several sit-downs with Democratic congressional leaders, but “not much headway” has been made, as Trump tweeted after Vice President Mike Pence met with Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Jan. 5.
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Evie Fordham is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Evie on Twitter @eviefordham.
