The White House says President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Republican senators at the Capitol on Wednesday as the partial government shutdown continues.
The Latest on President Donald Trump and the partial government shutdown (all times local):
6 p.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will meet with Republican senators at the Capitol on Wednesday as the partial government shutdown continues.
The meeting is taking place as Trump tries to generate public support for border wall money before ending the shutdown. He’ll address the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday night, and has planned a trip to the U. S.-Mexico border two days later.
House Democrats have passed a plan to re-open the government without funding Trump’s promised border wall, but the Republican-led Senate has so far declined to take it up.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he won’t take up funding bills without Trump’s support.
The vice president is increasingly being called upon to prevent GOP defections.
__
3:30 p.m.
President Donald Trump hosted cable and broadcast television news representatives at an off-the-record lunch hours before he’s set to deliver a prime-time speech outlining what he sees as a « crisis » on the southern border.
Top news personalities including CNN’s Chris Cuomo, Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier and ABC’s George Stephanopoulos attended the Tuesday lunch, which lasted about an hour and 20 minutes.
White House counselor Kellyanne Conway says the group had a « robust exchange » and « questions were asked and answered. »
Baier said on air that attendees agreed to quote only one line from the president: « It was wonderful having lunch with you today. »
But he said that the White House believes the wall is a winning issue for Trump, whose refusal to sign a budget without billions for the border has forced a partial government shutdown.
___
11:05 a.m.
The No. 2 House Democrat is blaming President Donald Trump for the partial government shutdown and says Trump is holding the government « hostage.
