Donald Trump claims ‘crisis’ at southern border
US president stops short of declaring national emergency in televised speech
Donald Trump has used his first televised address to the nation from the Oval Office to claim a growing humanitarian and security crisis at the border between the United States and Mexico.
Trump also used the eight-minute speech to repeat his demand for $5.7 billion (£4.6 billion) to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, and blamed Democrats for the partial government shutdown that has left hundreds of thousands of government employees either furloughed, or working for no pay.
However, Trump stopped short of declaring a national emergency, as many observers were expecting him to do, in order to obtain funding for his border wall and solve the government shutdown that is now into its 19th day.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The New York Times notes that in several instances, Trump made false claims or made statements that were misleading and required more context, including the claim that Democrats are responsible for the government shutdown.
During a fractious meeting with senior Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer late last year, Trump said: “I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut [the government] down. I’m not going to blame you for it.”
Reaction to the speech was mixed along party lines. Republican supporters of Trump praised the speech, with Senator Lindsey Graham telling Fox News that this was the “most presidential” he had seen Trump so far.
Democrat reaction to the speech was more critical, with Pelosi and Schumer holding a joint press conference to call on Trump to end the government shutdown.
“The fact is: President Trump must stop holding the American people hostage, must stop manufacturing a crisis, and must reopen the government,” Pelosi said.
Schumer went on to accuse Trump of trying to “govern by temper tantrum”, the BBC reports.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Magnificent Tudor castles and stately homes to visit this year
The Week Recommends The return of 'Wolf Hall' has sparked an uptick in visits to Britain's Tudor palaces
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
I'm a Celebrity 2024: 'utterly bereft of new ideas'?
Talking Point Coleen Rooney is the star attraction but latest iteration of reality show is a case of 'rinse and repeat'
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
The clown car cabinet
Opinion Even 'Little Marco' towers above his fellow nominees
By Mark Gimein Published
-
The clown car cabinet
Opinion Even 'Little Marco' towers above his fellow nominees
By Mark Gimein Published
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
The Pentagon faces an uncertain future with Trump
Talking Point The president-elect has nominated conservative commentator Pete Hegseth to lead the Defense Department
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
'All Tyson-Paul promised was spectacle and, in the end, that's all we got'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
What will Trump mean for the Middle East?
Talking Point President-elect's 'pro-Israel stance' could mask a more complex and unpredictable approach to the region
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
How will Elon Musk's alliance with Donald Trump pan out?
The Explainer The billionaire's alliance with Donald Trump is causing concern across liberal America
By The Week UK Published