Trump has US guessing over his wall

Funding: Congress ‘given a chance’

President Donald Trump has said he has “no idea” whether he can get a deal with House speaker Nancy Pelosi for his border wall as the partial US government shutdown slipped into the record books.

The president did not tip his hand at the weekend on whether he will move ahead with an emergency declaration that could break the impasse, free up money for his wall without congressional approval, and kick off legal challenges and a political storm over the use of that extraordinary step.

A day earlier, he said he was not ready to do it “right now”.

Politicians are due back in Washington from their states and congressional districts in the new week.

Mr Trump fired off a series of tweets pushing back against the notion that he does not have a strategy to end what became the longest government shutdown in US history when it entered its 22nd day on Saturday.

“Elections have consequences!” he declared, referring to the 2016 election in which “I promised safety and security” and, as part of that, a border wall.

Mr Trump threatened anew that the shutdown could continue indefinitely as the Democrats, who now control the House, refuse to give him money for the wall.

Later on Saturday, he telephoned Fox News Channel’s Justice with Judge Jeanine Pirro from the White House.

Ms Pirro pressed Mr Trump on why he had yet to declare a national emergency.

He said he was giving Congress a chance to “act responsibly”.