Thrump vows shutdown if border wall unfunded

GOP not on board with idea so close to midterm elections.

President

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said Monday he would have “no problem” shutting down the federal government this year if Congress doesn’t agree to provide additional border security funding.

Trump’s statement puts him at odds with members of his own party in Congress, where many Republicans are facing tough re-election

fifights this November. Government funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections. A shutdown would be the second under unifified Republican control of Washington, following a weekend stoppage in January.

A s k e d a b o u t s p e c i f i c requirements, Trump said he had no “red line” for what must be approved, and he made no comment on timing — before or after the election.

“I’ll always leave room for negotiation,” he said.

“I would have no problem doing a shutdown,” Trump said during a joint press conference at the White House with Italian Prime Minister

Giuseppe Conte. “It’s time we had border security.” His comments echoed his

unexpected tweet a day earlier that “I would be willing to ‘shut down’ government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!”

“Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and

fifinally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!” he tweeted.

Trump returned to the idea after a meeting at the

White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majorit y Leader Mitch McCon- nell, R-Ky., where they were said to have agreed on the way forward on government funding for the budget year that starts Oct. 1.

McConnell told a radio interviewer last week that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won’t happen.

Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting: “The president’s willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done.” He added that

money for the wall was “not a question of if, it’s a question of when.”

Trump has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting a f te r L a bor Day, t o hel p Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers don’t appear to be rallying to his side on this idea.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., c h a i r man o f t h e S e n a t e Homeland Security and Governmental Affffffffffffairs Committee, said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that it would be unhelpful to shut down the government just before elections “so let’s try

and avoid it.”

MARK WILSON / GETTY IMAGES President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte hold a joint news conference Monday at the White House. Among the topics discussed were immigration, trade and NATO. Trump also reiterated his vow to shut down the government if he does...