President Donald Trump on Monday announced plans to address the nation this week about the "Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border."
Trump tweeted he will give an official address to the American people on Tuesday night regarding the national security crisis on the border. White House deputy chief of staff Bill Shine told Axios reporter Jonathan Swan that the president will give the address from the Oval Office.
"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," Trump tweeted.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1082347305699889157
Trump's tweet followed shortly after an announcement from White House press secretary Sarah Sanders that he would travel to the southern border on Thursday to "meet with those on the frontlines of the national security and humanitarian crisis."
Trump's visit to the southern border will occur on what's expected to be the 20th day of a partial government shutdown over an impasse on border security and illegal immigration in Washington. Trump has been in a standoff with congressional Democratic leaders over his promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump asked Congress for $5.7 billion on Sunday for a "steel barrier" rather than a concrete wall. He signaled that the steel barrier is "stronger" and "less obtrusive" than a concrete barrier.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said last week that she would give Trump "nothing for the wall" in a bill to fund the government, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Trump told Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) he would be willing to keep the government shut down for "years" over the wall. Sanders said on "Fox News Sunday" that Trump wasn't kidding.
"Absolutely, the president means what he says when he says that," she said. " [Democrats] agree that we need border security. They just are unwilling to let this president win. And I think at some point they have to decide that they care more about Americans than fighting the president. And so far we haven’t seen a willingness on their side to fully do that."
Trump has called the wall the key to border security, while Pelosi has called such a structure "immoral." The White House has sent out videos of prominent Democrats like Schumer, Hillary Clinton, and President Barack Obama making strong statements in the recent past about securing the border.