Border wall or else? President is unclear on shutdown plans

Will he or WASHINGTON — won’t he? President Donald Trump is sowing confusion about whether he’s committed to keeping the government open through the fall elections or would willingly shut it down to secure more money for his promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The president Tuesday escalated his plan for a government shutdown, even as he has told aides privately that he won’t make any move until after the midterm elections. The president tweeted Tuesday that he did not care about the “political ramifications,” adding that “a Government Shutdown is a very small price to pay for a safe and Prosperous America!”

His comments followed several days of shutdown conversations in which he declared he saw “no prob- lem” in shutting down the government to secure back- ing for one of his key campaign promises. But two offi- cials said Trump recognized the political cost of a shut- down before the November elections and had assured staff he wouldn’t provoke a fiscal crisis until after Elec- tion Day. A congressional aide said the White House had sent a similar message to Capitol Hill amid wide- spread anxiety about a poten- tial shutdown as Republicans face tough re-election fights. The two officials and the congressional aide spoke on condition of anonymity because they were notautho- rized to discuss internal delib- erations.

Trump’s shutdown com- ments appeared to put him further at odds with Republi- cans in Congress. The threats came days after GOP leaders believed they had secured a pledge of Trump’s patience on the budget.

A shutdown when government funding expires at the end of September, just weeks before the midterm elections, would be the third under unified Republican control of Washington, following stoppages in January and February. With Congress likely needing to pass a short-term spending bill before the new fiscal year, aides have emphasized that Trump would get another opportunity to force a showdown with Democrats over the border wall during a lame-duck session.

The president is eager to stress immigration during the fall election —and his own 2020 effort — believing it will fire up his base. Republican leaders disagree, hoping they can avoid a high-profile display of dysfunction and focus their message on the GOP tax cuts and the strong economy.