Trump News

Trump eyes another border trip, plans aggressive PR campaign as wall funding debate restarts

Aides to President Donald Trump are sketching out a three-week public relations campaign, including the possibility of another trip to the border, as the president seeks to influence new negotiations over funding and his proposed wall.

The latest push, which includes next week’s State of the Union address, comes after Trump has largely retreated from public view following his decision Friday to reopen the government for three weeks without new wall funding. The president hasn’t attended any public events since he called for a “great and secure deal” late last week.

As the clock ticks toward a Feb. 15 deadline to fund the government, White House plans include events designed to highlight immigration woes and, aides said, potentially another visit by the president to the U.S.-Mexico border. The aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal discussions, stressed no final decisions about strategy had been made.

Trump last visited the border Jan. 10 to highlight what he has repeatedly described as a “crisis.” 

White House officials are developing their game plan as a bipartisan committee of 17 lawmakers meets for the first time Wednesday to begin talks aimed at avoiding another shutdown and addressing Trump’s request for billions in border security money.

“The administration really needs to be forceful and hands-on when it comes to these negotiations,” said RJ Hauman with the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports the wall. “They need to take the case to the American people.”

Trump already has two high-profile events built into his schedule as work begins on Capitol Hill this week: a Super Bowl Sunday interview with CBS and the annual State of the Union address, which was rescheduled for Tuesday after the government reopened. Both will give the president an opportunity to frame the conference committee negotiations, which White House aides will not take part in directly. 

Trump will also be busy tweeting out his wall demands, as he did early Wednesday morning.

"If the committee of Republicans and Democrats now meeting on Border Security is not discussing or contemplating a Wall or Physical Barrier, they are Wasting their time!" Trump said.