BORDER/ELECTIONS/GOVERMENT/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday [9-5-18] held out the possibility of a government shutdown before the November elections over his effort to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, even as Republican congressional leaders publicly urged him away from that path and predicted it wouldn’t occur…Trump’s stance on whether he’d force a shutdown has zigzagged. He’s previously suggested to lawmakers that he would not allow a government shutdown before the midterm elections. With Republicans running the White House, Senate and House, party leaders worry that voters would blame a shutdown squarely on the GOP, worsening their prospects for retaining congressional control. Lawmakers face a Sept. 30 deadline to pass spending bills to keep the government open. Top Republicans have said lawmakers are making progress toward completing some of the 12 annual spending measures by that date, but they have conceded that temporary extensions of some agency budgets are likely. Seated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and other GOP leaders, Trump said they would discuss ‘how we can responsibly fund the government, protect American taxpayers and defend American security.’ He said the lawmakers had made progress.”
–The Associated Press, “Trump Says of Possible Shutdown: ‘If It Happens, It Happens’,” The New York Times online, September 5, 2018