SHUT DOWN: Trump Tells Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan He Won’t Sign Their Weak Stop-Gap Measure

1:43 p.m. update: Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh reports that he has received word from President Donald J. Trump that he will either receive money to fund the border wall, or shut the government down completely.

According to several reports, President Donald J. Trump will not sign spending legislation, which, at this point, does not include funding for a southern border wall, Trump’s main campaign issue.

“Paul Ryan says Trump ‘won’t sign this bill,’ referring to a Senate-passed stop-gap spending bill to avoid a shutdown by Feb. 8. Shutdown now appears far more likely. Trump had signaled to Hill earlier he would sign it,” according to CNN’s Manu Raju.

https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1075819002046353409?s=21

The Wall Street Journal reported a similar story at noon eastern on Thursday.

This is the latest development in a battle over borders that has Trump’s base restless. After two years with a Republican-controlled Congress and no wall, some fear that the president is all hat and no cattle on the issue that got him elected.

Forcing Democrats to fund the wall or risk shutting down the government would be a step in the right direction.

This story is developing.

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