The United States President Donald Trump is plotting a prime-time TV distraction on Tuesday night at 9 pm from the Oval office and make a public case for his $5 billion demand for a border wall along with the southern Mexico border, what he described it as a “humanitarian and national security crisis”, as the US government partial shutdown enters the third week in a row.
Trump announced his plans of a prime time via Twitter on Monday. Trump wrote: “I am pleased to inform you that I will Address the Nation on the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border. Tuesday night at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.”
I am pleased to inform you that I will Address the Nation on the Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border. Tuesday night at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 7, 2019
Trump’s oval office speech would be his first speech as president and will be followed by his visit to Mexico southern border to justify his $5 billion wall demand.
In a tweet, the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sander wrote: “President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis. More details will be announced soon.”
President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis. More details will be announced soon.
— Kayleigh McEnany 45 Archived (@PressSec45) January 7, 2019
In a joint statement on Monday, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking for equal airtime, wrote: “Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime.”
According to news reported by CBS, after four-hour since his “national address” plan, PBS, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Trump mouthpiece Fox broadcast network has not yet committed to airtime for the US president, called mainstream media as “fake news”.
A Congress member, fuming over the impasse, said, “Trying to negotiate with this president is like trying to negotiate with a third grader.”
The partial shutdown has entered its 18th day leading 800,000 federal workers left unpaid and Trump is claiming of “higher purpose” over border wall and said unpaid workers would “make an adjustment”.
On behalf of workers, Trump has already said, “The safety net is going to be having a strong border because we’re going to be safe. … I really believe that these people — many of the people that we’re talking about, many of the people you’re discussing — I really believe that they agree with what we’re doing.”