Trump contradicts aide, says border wall stance has not ‘evolved’
CHIP FUNDING: President muddles talks on govt funding ahead of vote on shutdown
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said his concept of a wall along the US border with Mexico “has never changed or evolved,” contradicting comments made by his chief of staff.
White House chief of staff John Kelly told Hispanic lawmakers during a Wednesday meeting that some of Trump’s immigration views during the campaign were “uninformed,” according to reports in the Washington Post and New York Times.
Kelly elaborated in an interview later with Fox News, saying that the Republican president’s views have evolved.”
In an apparent rebuke of Kelly, Trump wrote on Twitter on Thursday: “The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it.”
The border wall stands at the centre of a congressional struggle to overhaul immigration before the March expiration of a programme protecting socalled “Dreamers” — immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.
Trump wants any deal to include funding for the wall, which Democrats oppose and is expected to cost more than $20 billion.
During the campaign, Trump supporters cheered when he loudly promised a barrier along the 3,200km US-Mexico frontier to keep out drug smugglers and undocumented immigrants and have Mexico pay for it. Since taking office, he has acknowledged there were geographical barriers such as mountains and rivers along the border where a wall would not be necessary.
“The Wall will be paid for, directly or indirectly, or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico, which has a ridiculous $71 billion dollar trade surplus with the US,” Trump said on Twitter on Thursday.
Kelly told Fox News in an interview on Wednesday that the administration was considering visa fees and a renegotiation of NAFTA as ways to get revenue from Mexico.
Govt funding: Meanwhile, Trump complicated Republican efforts on Thursday to reach agreement on a temporary extension of government funding to avert a shutdown, blasting a plan to entice Democrats by funding a children’s health insurance programme.
To build support for the short-term funding bill, Republican leaders included a six-year extension of funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), a Democratic priority, while further delaying some taxes imposed under Obamacare to appeal to Republicans.
Ahead of an expected vote in the House of Representatives later on Thursday, Trump said on Twitter that “CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!”