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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 9 January 2019
Trump seeks an edge in shutdown fight with TV address

From Front off. His Tuesday evening re- laration would represent blasts, Trump is embracing mands for $5.7 billion in wall
marks were to be followed a dramatic escalation of the ceremonial trappings funding, and Democrats
By CATHERINE LUCEY, LISA by a televised rebuttal the dispute and would im- of his office as he tries to have not moved from their
MASCARO and JILL COL- from House Speaker Nancy mediately draw legal chal- exit a political quagmire of opposition, while many Re-
VIN, Associated Press Pelosi and Senate Minor- lenges. It could potentially his own making. For weeks publicans watch anxiously
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fight- ity Leader Chuck Schumer, unlock military dollars for he has dug in on a signa- from the sidelines.
ing for advantage in the who strongly oppose the building the wall but would ture campaign promise to Sen John Thune of South
government shutdown bat- wall and have repeatedly require the administra- his base voters, the pledge Dakota, the GOP whip,
tle, President Donald Trump called on Trump to reopen tion to make the case that to build an impregnable said he doesn’t think the
aimed to use a prime-time shuttered portions of the the border situation was “beautiful” wall along the emergency declaration is
address Tuesday to con- government while border indeed a national crisis . U.S.-Mexico border. But the right move and “I pre-
vince Americans he needs negotiations continue. While Trump has previously now his self-proclaimed fer that we get this resolved
billions of dollars from Con- Trump has been discussing described the situation on deal-making skills are being the old-fashioned way.”
gress for his long-promised the idea of declaring a na- the border that way — in- put to the test. In recent days, Trump, who
border wall to resolve secu- tional emergency to allow cluding when he directed The partial government has long railed against il-
rity and humanitarian prob- him to move forward with active duty troops there shutdown reached its 18th legal immigration at the
lems he contends have the wall without getting ahead of the midterm elec- day, making the closure border, has also seized on
reached a crisis pitch. He congressional approval for tions— he has never signed the second-longest in his- humanitarian concerns to
was sure to face intense the $5.7 billion he’s request- an official proclamation. tory. Hundreds of thou- argue there is a broader cri-
pushback from Democrats. ed. But the president was He will meet with Republi- sands of federal workers sis that can only be solved
Following up his first Oval not expected to make that can lawmakers at the Cap- are going without pay, and with a wall. Critics say the
Office speech, Trump plans declaration Tuesday night, itol on Wednesday. government disruptions are security risks are overblown
a personal visit to the Mexi- said two people familiar With his use of a formal hitting home with every- and the administration is at
can border on Thursday as with the White House plans, White House speech in- day Americans. But Trump least partly to blame for the
he tries to put pressure on although it was possible he stead of his favored Twitter has not budged on his de- humanitarian situation.q
newly empowered Demo- could change course.
crats in the shutdown stand- Such an emergency dec-

Networks to air Pelosi,

Schumer rebuttal to Trump

By DAVID BAUDER, AP Me- more extreme approach
dia Writer of pointing out through
NEW YORK (AP) — Television chyrons, or text displayed
networks are facing un- on the air, in the event of a
usual pressure surrounding verifiable false statement.
their responsibility to point NBC said it would fact-
out false or misleading check livestreams of both
statements after granting speeches through pinned
President Donald Trump’s comments on its Facebook
request to air his Oval Of- page and through com-
fice speech on the pro- ments on the NBC and MS-
posed border wall and par- NBC Twitter accounts. Fact
tial government shutdown. checks will also be fea-
The four largest broadcast tured prominently on the
networks and top cable NBC News home page, the
news networks agreed to network said.
carry Trump’s speech and New York University jour-
the Democratic response, nalism professor Jay Rosen
which will be offered by said on social media Tues-
House Speaker Nancy Pe- day that network officials
losi and Senate Majority should be asking them-
Leader Chuck Schumer. selves how likely it is that
It’s rare, but not unprec- the speech will inform
edented, for networks to viewers, and how they can
say no to a presidential re- prevent the president from
quest for airtime. Some of misinforming viewers.
the president’s opponents Late-night hosts were even
had argued that Trump getting in on the criticism,
shouldn’t get the airtime with CBS’ Stephen Colbert
because he couldn’t be noting on Twitter that “my
trusted to tell the truth. network will be carrying
Television executives were Trump’s wall speech live.
talking internally about So at 9 p.m. Tuesday, tune
ways to fact-check Trump, in to CBS to see B.S.” NBC’s
such as dedicating staff Seth Meyers aired a lengthy
to parse statements the segment early Tuesday
way it is often done after a suggesting Trump’s speech
presidential address, to the not be televised. q