Trump doubts congressional wall efforts

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump expressed skepticism Thursday about the possibility Congress will provide him with the nearly $6 billion he is seeking to build a wall along the Mexico border, increasing the likelihood of another government shutdown.

The comments come one day after a group of House of Representatives and Senate lawmakers met for the first time to discuss border security issues ahead of a Feb. 15 deadline. Democrats presented a border security plan that did not include Trump's funds.

The president said Republicans on the panel "are wasting their time," because Democrats will not budge in their opposition to the wall.

"I’ve got you covered," Trump told Republicans on Twitter. "Wall is already being built, I don’t expect much help!"

It is unclear what Trump is referring to. He could be referring to the potential that he would again shut down the government over border wall funding, or he could be making reference to the possibility that he would seek to build the wall through an emergency declaration.

Should he pursue that option it would almost certainly be bogged down in a bevy of legal challenges, including from Democrats who have already publicly committed to doing so. He would also have to contend with challenges from land owners whose property he would need to appropriate to build the separation barrier.

Trump signed a three-week spending bill last week to reopen the government following the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

In his Twitter salvo, Trump falsely claimed "Large sections of WALL have already been built," adding "to stop the attempted Invasion of Illegals" more troops are being sent to the border.

"We have stopped the previous Caravans, and we will stop these also," he said, referring to a group of Central American migrants making their way through Mexico en route to the U.S. "With a Wall it would be soooo much easier and less expensive. Being Built!"