Donald Trump insists on US-Mexico border wall again; says 'negotiators wasting time if not talking about physical barrier'

Washington: US president Donald Trump has insisted that Congressional negotiators working on a compromise border security deal include money for his proposed wall between Mexico and the southern US border. [caption id=“attachment_5515641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of US president Donald Trump. AP[/caption] Trump tweeted that if the negotiators, scheduled to hold their first meeting Wednesday, aren’t “discussing or contemplating a Wall or Physical Barrier, they are Wasting their time!” Trump’s insistence on a wall led to an impasse with Democrats that resulted in a 35-day partial government shutdown. On Friday, Trump agreed to a temporary deal reopening the government while negotiators work toward a longer-term border security deal. Democrats have been adamant against a wall. In recent days, Trump has appeared to retreat from using the word. On Tuesday, Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, suggested that “barrier” was “the same thing” as a wall. Capitol Hill negotiators are hopeful of an agreement as they officially kick off talks on a homeland security spending bill that has been trapped in a stalemate over Trump’s long-stalled border wall. Left on their own, the seasoned House and Senate lawmakers say they could easily reach a border security deal as they have for two years in a row. But whether Trump would sign it is another matter.

Trump has grown impatient, and his demands on his US-Mexico border wall are insistent even though Democrats took back the House. Democrats remain united against Trump’s vision for a massive wall project, yet some are signaling a willingness to deal in the wake of the 35-day partial government shutdown.