Trump says he would 'totally be willing' to shut down the government over border wall funding

President Trump is again teasing a possible government shutdown over border wall funding.

Trump told Politico in an interview published Wednesday that he would "totally be willing" to shut down the government if Democrats don't agree to the $5 billion he's requesting for border wall funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday Democrats would be willing to approve $1.6 billion, but that's not good enough for Trump, who says he is "firm" on his number.

This shutdown talk is a bit of a shift from an interview Trump gave to The Washington Post hours earlier, during which he said there are other options if Democrats don't agree to the full $5 billion. "Now, if we don’t get it, will I get it done another way? I might get it done another way," he said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

Trump also told Politico the border is a "total winner" for him politically, saying, "people look at the border, they look at the rush to the police, they look at the rock throwers." He insisted, though, that he does not "do anything ... just for political gain."