(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump says it would be “very surprising” for him not to declare a national emergency if he can’t make a deal with Democrats to pay for his promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Trump is telling reporters as he leaves the White House for a Texas border visit that he would prefer to work with Congress on a deal to end the partial government shutdown and is open to compromise but will use his emergency powers to circumvent Congress if they can’t come to agreement.
He said Thursday, “We have to get a win … or I will declare a national emergency.”
He has talked about declaring a national emergency before.
Trump also defends his repeated claims that Mexico will pay for his wall — even when Mexico has said it won’t.
Trump says he “never said they were going to write out a check” and would pay for it indirectly “many, many times over.”
Democrats have called the wall “immoral.”
