Trump Downplays Idea of National Emergency

President Trump once strongly hinted that he would declare a national emergency in order to build a border wall. On Monday, he walked back the threat about the controversial move. "Now I have the absolute legal right to call it, but I'm not looking to do that," he told reporters, per Politico. Instead, he again pushed for Democrats to agree to a deal on funding and thus end the government shutdown, now in its record 24th day. Related to that, he rejected an idea from GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham to reopen the government temporarily during negotiations.

"I'm not interested," said Trump, per the Hill. "I want to get it solved. I don't want to just delay it. I want to get it solved." As he did on Twitter earlier, Trump also faulted some Democratic lawmakers for traveling to Puerto Rico during the shutdown, a visit highlighted by the Washington Examiner. "I've been here all weekend," said Trump. "The Democrats have to do something." (Two new polls suggest that Trump and Republicans are bearing most of the blame for the shutdown.)