President Donald Trump repeated his claim that undocumented immigration poses an existential crisis for the U.S., though many observers point out that illegal border crossings have declined dramatically since the early 2000s. | AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin White House Trump says he would consider declaring a national emergency to force border wall funding
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would consider using emergency powers to bypass Congress in building a wall on the southern border.
Trump made the remarks shortly after meeting with congressional leaders to try to resolve a two-week partial government shutdown prompted by Trump’s demands for more than $5 billion for physical border barriers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly said Democrats, who have the majority in the House as of Thursday, would not grant the president any additional money for the wall.
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But Trump said he could call a national emergency and go around Congress altogether.
“Absolutely, we could call a national emergency because of the security of our county,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden when asked if he was considering such an option. “I haven’t done it. I may do it.”
Trump repeated during the news conference his common refrain that undocumented immigration poses an existential crisis for the country, and his consideration of a national emergency declaration continues in that strain. Many observers, however, have pointed out that illegal border crossings have dramatically declined since the early 2000s.
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ABC News first reported before the news conference that Trump had been weighing the idea of using a national emergency to force through border wall funding.
Still, Trump said he would prefer to negotiate a solution with Democrats in Congress before declaring such a drastic measure.
When asked by a reporter if he would use the specter of a national emergency declaration to threaten Democrats, he said, “I never threaten anybody, but I am allowed to do it.”
United States  Donald Trump said on Friday he can and may declare a national , which he said would allow him to act without approval from Congress and allocate funding for the construction of a wall along the country's border with Mexico. The US government is currently  because the president and Congress could not agree on a national budget. The President insists that the budget include funding for the wall, which was one of his campaign promises, but Congress has not passed his proposed budget.
File photo of Donald Trump, 2011. 
Trump said on Friday "I can do it call a national emergency if I want. I may do it." Trump also said that he would prefer to agree a solution with the opposition. He also said, "I never threaten anybody." He also claimed that the wall was a crucial part of America's border security. The , Mike Pence, said on Friday the United States is "in the midst of a crisis on our southern border." Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, said on Friday "We are committed to keeping our border safe. We can do that best when government is open. We made that clear to the president."

The , , said on Friday "We made a plea to the president once again: don't hold hundreds of thousands of federal workers hostage" and "So we told the president we needed the government open. He resisted."

  and incoming chair of the    both yesterday questioned the President's power to do as he proposed.  Schiff called it "a non-starter".  Durbin said "I can just tell you, I don't know what he's basing this on, but he's faced so many lawsuits when he ignores the law and ignores tradition and precedent and just goes forward without any concern".

President Trump claims he would be okay if the impasse over the shutdown went on for "years." This lockdown started on December 22, last year. Some museums, the , and immigration courts have shut, with some people working in still-open services without pay. The  website advises citizens to continue paying their federal taxes. Some services are still open, including medical services  and . Federal courts are relying on non-government sources, like court fees, for funding.





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CAT:Politics and conflictsCAT:Donald TrumpCAT:Nancy Pelosi