In a speech to his base in Arizona last night (Aug 23), President Trump said he would be willing to let the government shut down if Congress does not agree to funds for the border wall.

With the deadline to continue funding the federal government just over a month away, the White House isn't shutting down chatter that the government may shut down, NBC News reported.

President Donald Trump is "serious" about his threat to do so, a senior administration official told NBC News Thursday, escalating Trump's words from a rally Tuesday.

"If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall," Trump said a rally in Phoenix, winning cheers of "Build the Wall!"

House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have pushed back on the need for a shutdown, which may be calamitous for the market. But Trump attacked them both by name Thursday morning over how they plan to pass the debt ceiling, another funding hurdle the government faces in the next several weeks.

Source: Trump Team Escalates Threats to Shut Down Government - NBC4 Washington http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/Trump-Team-Escalates-Threats-to-Shut-Down-Government-441632813.html#ixzz4qgrGaWbw
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