President Donald Trump made the case for funding for his long-promised border wall – but stopped short of saying he would veto a government funding bill without the requested money.
In remarks at the signing of a farm bill, Trump declared "A nation without border is a nation not at all."
"Illegal immigration costs our nation $275 billion a year . . . millions of jobs and thousands of innocent lives. More than 90 percent of heroin comes across our southern border.
"I'm asking Congress to defend the border of our nation for tiny fraction of the cost. Essential to border security is a powerful physical barrier. Walls work," he added.
"I've made my position very clear. Any measure that funds the government has to include border security. Has to. Not for political purposes but for our country, for the safety of our community. This is not merely my campaign promise. This is the promise every lawmaker made, it is the solemn promise to protect and defend the United States of America, and it is our sacred obligation.
"Nobody should support illegal immigration," he argued. "In life, there's certain principles are worth fighting for, principles that are more important than politics, party or personal convenience. The safety and security and sovereignty of the United States is the most important principle of all. If we don't stand strong for our national borders, then we cease to be a nation."
Trump said he looked forward "to signing a bill that fulfills our duty to the American people."
"It's all about America first," he added. "We have to put our country first, we have to put our people first. We have to put safety first.
"We'll see what we can do," he said. "Hopefully it will come together."
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