President Donald Trump has "set the table" for border security negotiations in Congress, and is continuing to consider additional options, including declaring a national emergency, to secure $5.7 billion to fund a border wall, White House Director of Strategic Communications Mercedes Schlapp said Monday.
"We're looking at all options on the table," Schlapp told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "He has discussed in the past about declaring a national emergency. Our goal right now is to ensure that Congress can come up with a plan of action."
She added that there was "definitely pressure" from rank-and-file Democrats toward their leadership last week before Trump signed a deal ending the shutdown because they wanted to reopen the government and negotiate.
"We have Democrats on record saying that physical barriers work," Schlapp said. "The president proposed a good-faith effort. A good-faith compromise. It is an opportunity to bring the Democrats to the table. They refused to negotiate. Now that we're back on where we are able to reopen the government the next few weeks it will put pressure on these people to get a good negotiation done."
Schlapp also confirmed that the State of the Union address will definitely not be held on Tuesday, even though the government has reopened.
"The president is looking forward to addressing the American people," said Schlapp. "We have a great story to tell."
Another government shutdown still looms, as lawmakers have until Feb. 15 to reach an agreement that Trump will sign.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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