Donald Trump is expected to tell Americans that the US is facing a “crisis” on its southern border during his first-ever prime time address from the Oval Office on Tuesday, as the US works through its eighteenth day of partial government shutdown.
With Congress pointedly refusing to provide funding for Mr Trump's controversial border wall, the White House is looking increasingly likely to declare a state of national emergency that would allow the president to divert funds and use the military to begin building on the wall. After the prime time address, Mr Trump is scheduled to personally visit the border on Thursday.
Democrats have so far flat out rejected Mr Trump's demand for $5.6bn (£4.4bn) to build the wall, and the budgetary showdown over that money has left 800,000 public sector staff either furloughed or working without pay until the issue is resolved.
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All major US television networks agreed to air Mr Trump's speech, prompting Democrats, who say a wall would be expensive, inefficient and immoral, to seek equal time.
“Now that the television networks have decided to air the president’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” said a joint statement issued by house speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.
Vice president Mike Pence said on Monday that administration officials and congressional staff discussed the border “crisis” in meetings over the weekend about how to break an impasse about funding and reopen the government.
“We made progress in establishing the fact that we do have a humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border. The president will address that as he speaks to the nation,” Mr Pence told reporters.
The emphasis on a crisis comes as Mr Trump is considering declaring a national emergency in an effort to bypass congress and build the wall without its approval.
