Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said President Donald Trump was "frustrated" with the state of border security Wednesday and took that part of his job "very seriously."
Nielsen appeared at the White House press briefing to discuss the White House's announcement that it would work with governors in deploying National Guard troops to the southern border and assist patrol agents in halting illegal immigration.
A reporter noted it was the 440th day of the Trump administration and wondered if the new policy had something to do with something Trump saw on cable news or whether it was an effort to shore up his political base.
"Can you speak to that speculation? Is it true?" he asked.
"I think what is true is the president is frustrated. He has been very clear that he wants to secure our border," Nielsen said. "He's been very clear that he wants to do that in a bipartisan way with Congress. I think what you're seeing is the president taking his job very seriously in terms of securing our border and doing everything we can without Congress to do that."
Trump's call to build a southern border wall was one of the hallmarks of his presidential campaign but he has been largely stymied in his efforts to secure funding for the project since taking office.
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