President Donald Trump said Wednesday he’s ready to shut down the government over spending on border security.
Hours earlier, however, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told congressional Republicans he was advising Trump not to seek a shutdown later this month — and wanted them to pass a spending bill by the October 1 deadline, the Washington Post reported.
A shutdown is “not in anyone’s interest, and [Trump] knows that,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said, according to the Post.
But at a meeting with GOP leaders Wednesday afternoon, Trump seemed to change course, saying: “If it’s about border security, I’m willing to do anything,” the Washington Times reported.
Border security, including a wall on the border with Mexico, has been a top priority for the administration, but Democrats have steadfastly resisted funding the projects.
“We have to protect our borders. If we don’t protect our borders our country isn’t going to be a country, so if it’s about border security, I’m willing to do what has to be done,” Trump said.
The comments also contradict an interview he gave to the Daily Caller on Tuesday, when he said: “I don’t like the idea of shutdowns.”
“I don’t see even myself or anybody else closing down the country right now,” he was quoted as saying.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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