Donald Trump Uses Border Visit For Wall Affirmation In Fox News Interview

Backed by armed border security guards and flanked by two U.S. senators on Thursday, President Donald Trump said more security and walls are needed along the U.S.-Mexico border during his highly-publicized visit to the area in another plea to secure funding for a border wall.

Trump visited the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday to address immigration problems, all while visiting with families of victims and the agents assigned to border protection.

Shortly after his roundtable discussion with local and state leaders, Trump conducted an exclusive interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

The president said it's "100 percent" within his parameters to declare a national emergency on illegal immigration on the southern border, that it's all "about the 2020 Presidency" for Democrats who oppose him and praised the local immigration enforcement officers for their work.

Hannity began his segment prior to the president's interview Thursday night by comparing stretches along the border that had walls to areas that saw less illegal immigration — something verified by CNN's Jim Acosta on Thursday.

Acosta said there was no border chaos while standing alongside a wall in South Texas, and that the area was "tranquil."

I found some steel slats down on the border. But I don’t see anything resembling a national emergency situation.. at least not in the McAllen TX area of the border where Trump will be today. pic.twitter.com/KRoLdszLUu

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 10, 2019

Hannity scrolled a list of American victimized by illegal immigrants while spouting numbers of illegal crimes and arrests along the border.

"That's what this whole argument is about," Hannity said prior to the taping of his interview. "It's about the safety and security for every single American living in this country. … It's your government's responsibility to protect these borders."

Then Hannity appeared with the president, surrounded by border guards and security.

Trump, sporting a white hat with his trademark slogan "Make America Great Again" embroidered in blue, started his interview by acknowledging the border patrol and saying that with walls, they wouldn't have worked so diligently to capture "500 pounds" of drugs that had just crossed the border.

"We've built a lot of wall and we've renovated a tremendous amount of wall with the money we've already gotten," the president said, adding that his administration would keep it going and build new walls because "it's common sense."

Trump said more walls means fewer troops and border agents patrolling the area. He said the stalemate in Washington wasn't about dollars, but more about political prowess heading into the next election cycle.

"It's not a money thing, it's a political thing," Trump said, taking a jab at the Democrats, who have recently opposed any such barriers between the U.S. and Mexico. "They look at the 2020 race and they're not feeling too good about it, and they'll do whatever they can to win."

As for the government shutdown going into its record-tying 21st day, the president said the federal workers affected "are gonna get their check."

Trump said many of the people furloughed are with him in regards to building a wall at the border.

"These people want us to win this battle. Everybody wants us to win this battle," Trump said.

Trump said if he can't make a deal with Congress, then the law is "100 percent on my side," saying the Democrats couldn't stop him.

"Look, they know that walls work," Trump said in the interview. "You know what works? A wheel, and a wall. They call it a medieval thing."

Trump concluded his brief interview with saying he has an "absolute right to declare an emergency." He added that he's going to see what happens with Democrats over the next few days before actually declaring an emergency.

"Look, we're not going anywhere, Trump said. "We're not changing our mind because there's nothing to change your mind about. There's not a question of "will it work?" It'll work 100 percent."

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