BORDER/ECONOMY/MEXICO/NATIONAL SECURITY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump acknowledged Tuesday [4-2-19] that shutting down the U.S.-Mexico border could have a dire impact on the economy, but contended that the move was about national security, and ‘that’s more important than trade.’ Trump threatened last week to close the southern border if Mexico did not do more to stop the flood of Central American migrants making their way to the United States. He added to threat on Tuesday by saying that if Mexico or Congress don’t step up to solve the problem, ‘the border’s going to be closed 100 percent.’ Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike have expressed concern over Trump’s proposal to close the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that such a move could have a disastrous impact on the economy. An estimated $502 billion in goods — about $1.4 billion a day — crossed the border through trucks and trains last year, according to the Commerce Department. Asked if he had any concern about the economic consequences of closing the border, Trump said that was less of a priority to him at the moment.”
–Rebecca Morin and Caitlin Oprysko, “Trump says he’s willing to take the economic hit of closing the border,” Politico, April 2, 2019 3:06 pm