Trump Threatens to Close Southern Border Entirely and End Trade Deals Unless Wall Is Funded

Like a spoiled toddler throwing a tantrum over a toy, President Donald Trump is threatening to shut down the southern border, terminate trade deals, and cease aid to three Latin American nations unless he gets what he wants: funding for his precious border wall. The series of tweets signal that Trump does not plan to end the government shutdown until the wall is funded, continuing the standstill on Capitol Hill.

We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with. Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

In a Friday morning tweetstorm, the president blamed “obstructionist Democrats” for not funding the wall, despite having Republican control of both houses of Congress until Democrats take over the House in 2019. He also called for changes to “ridiculous immigration laws” and threatened to end the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which is now called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

….The United States looses soooo much money on Trade with Mexico under NAFTA, over 75 Billion Dollars a year (not including Drug Money which would be many times that amount), that I would consider closing the Southern Border a “profit making operation.” We build a Wall or…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

…..close the Southern Border. Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico. Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

“Bring our car industry back into the United States where it belongs. Go back to pre-NAFTA, before so many of our companies and jobs were so foolishly sent to Mexico,” Trump tweeted. “Either we build (finish) the Wall or we close the Border.”

This is not the first time Trump has threatened to close the border. Last month, he said he would close the border with Mexico “permanently” if Mexico did not send people seeking asylum back to their home countries.

Trump also claimed he would cut off aid to El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala for “doing nothing for the United States but taking our money.” But earlier this month, Trump pledged $10.6 billion in aid and investment to Central America and southern Mexico so they can offer better job opportunities and hopefully prevent their citizens from migrating to the United States.

…..Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador are doing nothing for the United States but taking our money. Word is that a new Caravan is forming in Honduras and they are doing nothing about it. We will be cutting off all aid to these 3 countries – taking advantage of U.S. for years!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 28, 2018

Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney appeared on Fox and Friends on Friday and claimed that while Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer has signaled might be open to a deal, he said Rep. Nancy Pelosi is stopping it from moving forward until she is elected speaker.

“We don’t think they will [negotiate] until after the new Congress is sworn in,” he said.

But Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff Drew Hammill said in a statement Thursday: “Democrats have offered Republicans three options to re-open government that all include funding for strong, sensible, and effective border security — but not the president’s immoral, ineffective and expensive wall. With the House Majority, Democrats will act swiftly to end the Trump Shutdown, and will fight for a strategic, robust national security policy, including strong and smart border security, and strong support for our servicemembers and veterans.”

Of course, all of this fighting over the border wall would be a non-issue if Trump only fulfilled one of his biggest and oft-repeated campaign promises: to make Mexico pay for it.