TRUMP MAKES IT CLEAR – AT 11:30 A.M. ET:   The president doubles down on the wall and the border, and I think he has a good chance of carrying public opinion with him.  From Daily Mail:

President Donald Trump returned Friday to a threat to close the nation's southern border if he doesn't get his wall money from Congress.

The federal government is partially shut down in Washington and remain that way until next week at least. Lawmakers have avoided the capital since Christmas in recognition of the reality that they are nowhere ending the fight with Trump with a spending deal. 

Trump warned as the weekend began that he'll close every port of entry if he doesn't see progress not only on his wall but on a total immigration overhaul as he claimed once more that the dispute is totally political in nature and has nothing to do with their claims that his desired border barrier would be impractical.

'We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with,' he said in a long tweet. 'Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!' 

Trump made a similar declaration about the politics of the argument on Thursday afternoon, claiming that 'everybody knows' that walls 'work perfectly' while offering a prediction that his point of view would be vindicated in 2020. 

'This isn’t about the Wall, everybody knows that a Wall will work perfectly (In Israel the Wall works 99.9%). This is only about the Dems not letting Donald Trump & the Republicans have a win,' he proclaimed. 'They may have the 10 Senate votes, but we have the issue, Border Security. 2020!'

The president spent the afternoon haranguing Democrats for the 'stupidity' that he said was driving them to oppose his strategy for keeping out illegal immigrants via a wall that he says he needs at least $5 billion to finish.

'They don’t have much to campaign on, do they? An Open Southern Border and the large scale crime that comes with such stupidity!' he wrote in one of several tweets that he sent over a three-hour period.

COMMENT:  We've said it before:  Like him or dislike him, never underestimate Trump's political instincts.  And his arguments resonate with people concerned about security.  I think that's most of us.

December 28, 2018