The Story
Last night, President Trump took over your small screens for a little chat. And to make the case for his border wall.
What did he say?
That there is a "growing humanitarian and security crisis" on the US-Mexico border. That tens of thousands of undocumented children were smuggled into the country last month. That this is putting a strain on public resources and hurting jobs and wages – especially for black and Hispanic Americans. That women and kids making the trek are the biggest victims here. That he's determined to end this "cycle of human suffering" and protect the country. That Democrats have supported a physical barrier in the past. And that it's now their fault the government is shut down over this.
Fact-check the main claims for me.
What's true…that a large number of women are estimated to have been sexually assaulted on their trek to the border. Also, that some Dems supported a physical barrier in the past. But heads up: that was for several hundred miles of fencing along the border, not a wall.
What isn't true…that even though Trump's asking for Congress to set aside funding for the wall, Mexico would basically be paying for it with the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal. If the deal is passed and it brings the US more money, Congress would still need to set aside the cash for the wall.
What needs more context...Trump said that 90% of heroin comes through the US-Mexico border. It's true that a majority of heroin comes through the southern border. But it mostly comes from legal points of entry, so it's unclear how it would be affected by a border wall.
So, what did the Dems have to say?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said that Trump is "holding the American people hostage" with this shutdown and "manufacturing a crisis." She and Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that Dems and the prez both want border security. But they called a wall "ineffective," "expensive," and "unnecessary." As Schumer put it, the "symbol of America should be the Statue of Liberty, not a 30-foot wall."
What happens next?
Trump says that he invited the Dems to the White House to talk through this today and come to an agreement. TBD what happens.
And in the meantime?
About 420,000 federal employees are working without pay. And 380,000 are on unpaid leave. If the shutdown keeps going like this, the admin and Congress are trying to make sure there's no impact on food stamps and tax refunds.
theSkimm
Yesterday was Trump's first formal address from the Oval Office. Neither he nor Dems said anything particularly new or seemed willing to compromise. But now that they've made their cases directly to the American public, eyes are on whether it helps move shutdown talks along.
|
