Trump says he'll make a 'major announcement' about the government shutdown on Saturday
- President Donald Trump said he will make a "major announcement" regarding the US-Mexico border on Saturday afternoon.
- The scheduled announcement will be held as the ongoing partial government shutdown nears the one-month mark.
- Trump continues to face opposition against his plan to fund a barrier along part of the US-Mexico border by Democrats and some Republican lawmakers, which has culminated into the ongoing government shutdown that has affected around 800,000 federal and contracted employees.
As the US government nears the one-month mark in partial shutdown mode, President Donald Trump said he would make a "major announcement" regarding the US-Mexico border on Saturday.
"I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow afternoon at 3 P.M., live from the [White House]," Trump tweeted on Friday afternoon.
Trump continues to face opposition against funding for a barrier along part of the US-Mexico border by Democrats and some Republican lawmakers. The debates culminated into the ongoing government shutdown that has affected around 800,000 federal and contracted employees.
But the feud between Trump and Congress escalated this week, after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested he reschedule his State of the Union address due to security concerns. The next day, Trump canceled a congressional delegation trip to Afghanistan, which Pelosi and other lawmakers were scheduled to attend. The military aircraft reserved for the lawmakers was pulled around an hour before they were scheduled to depart.
Trump has previously said he was considering declaring a national emergency to secure the over $5 billion for his border barrier, despite concerns from some Republicans. Critics have argued that Trump's characterization of a "crisis" at the border, including illegal immigration and crime rates, have been greatly exaggerated.
Trump's Republican colleagues have worried that a national-emergency declaration designed just to get Trump his desired border wall could set a troubling precedent that might affect disputes between Congress and future presidents.