Trump's Shutdown Threat Suggests He's Given Up on Making Mexico Pay for Border Wall

WASHINGTON -- The White House refused to concede Thursday that President Donald Trump has given up, even temporarily, on a promise to make Mexico pay for a border wall. Yet the tactical retreat seemed apparent as Trump pressured Congress for wall funds, threatening a government shutdown next month if lawmakers don't deliver."He campaigned on the wall. He won on talking about building the wall and he's going to make sure that gets done and he'll continue to fight for that funding," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday, as she ducked repeated questions about her boss's commitment to following through on the promise to make Mexico pay."Believe me," he told crowds throughout his campaign.Aides offered no explanation for when, how, or even whether he'll try to wrest money from Mexico for the project, which could cost $20 billion to $30 billion or even more. Exact estimates are impossible to come by in part because Trump hasn't yet specified exactly how much barrier he wants along the 2,000 mile frontier, which already has 700 miles of fencing.  Continue reading...

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