Trump announces deal to reopen government without $5 billion in border wall funding

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

The government shutdown is finally poised to come to an end — temporarily, at least.

President Trump on Friday announced a deal to reopen the government for three weeks, during which time Congress can negotiate on immigration and border security issues. Trump since December had pledged he would not reopen the government until Democrats agreed to give him $5.7 billion to fund his proposed wall along the southern border.

But now, he has backed off. The proposal Trump is now supporting would continue spending at its current levels, meaning there will still be money for border security as there was in 2018, but not the $5.7 billion Trump wants for the wall. Congress will now need to vote on the proposal, and it is expected to pass, since congressional leaders reportedly worked on the agreement with Trump.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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 had previously shied away from reopening the government without any guarantee that Democrats would agree to border wall funding once he had done so. But his announcement came as the shutdown situation was becoming so dire that flights around the country were being delayed because of a shortage in air traffic controllers. CNN reports the flight issues played a "key role" in Trump's decision Friday. The president had just one day earlier suggested he was sticking to his demands, writing, "We will not cave!"

If the agreement moves forward, three weeks of negotiations will take place. Trump seemed to suggest he expects Democrats to fund his wall, claiming both parties have "finally and fully acknowledged that having barriers or fences or walls will be an important part of the solution." But if a deal isn't reached that is to Trump's liking by Feb. 15, the shutdown could simply resume. Trump also suggested he may declare a national emergency at that point, saying, "I have a very powerful alternative, but I didn't want to use it at this time. Hopefully, it will be unnecessary."

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.