WASHINGTON — Top congressional Democrats said President Donald Trump “has chosen fear” in his drive to build a southern border wall and called on him to reopen the government shuttered because of the standoff over his demand for money for the barrier. The White House countered Wednesday by accusing Democrats of being in denial about dangerous activity taking place at the border, which Trump says would be thwarted by the construction of a wall. They spoke after Trump warned of a “growing humanitarian and security crisis” at the border with Mexico. Trump and the Democrats have been dueling during a partial government shutdown over his demands for — and their opposition to — $5.7 billion to begin building a border wall. On the 2016 campaign trail, Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but Mexico has refused to do that.

Source: National Post January 09, 2019 04:00 UTC