BORDER/ELECTION/IMMIGRATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “President Donald Trump told Americans in his State of the Union address on Tuesday [2-5-19] that illegal immigration was an urgent national crisis and he vowed to build a border wall as he sought funding for a project rejected by Democrats…Trump used part of his speech to offer a spirit of compromise, but whether Trump and his opponents would follow through was far from clear with both sides entrenched in long-held positions and girding for 2020 elections. The Republican president appeared in the House chamber just weeks after his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall triggered a historic 35-day partial government shutdown that more than half of Americans blamed him for, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling. The nationally televised address gave Trump his biggest opportunity to date to explain why he believes a barrier is needed on the U.S. southern border with Mexico. The speech was delayed for a week because of the shutdown, which ended on Jan. 25. Democrats call the wall a waste of money, ineffective and immoral.”
–Reuters, “Trump Vows to Build Border Wall That Democrats Oppose,” Politico, February 5, 2019