Trump pitches immigration proposal to conservatives as shutdown fight intensifies
President Trump is still pushing his proposal to fund a border wall in exchange for temporary protection for immigrants who came to the U.S. as children or to escape natural disasters, which House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already dismissed as a "non-starter."
Mr. Trump held a conference call with state, local and community leaders on his proposal Wednesday morning and is meeting with conservative leaders about immigration Wednesday afternoon. The conservatives represented include leaders of the Heritage Foundation, American Conservative Union and Family Research Council, among others.
The Senate is taking up Mr. Trump's proposal on Thursday, but it isn't expected to pass.
Meanwhile, the president continues to bash Democrats on Twitter and urge them to fund the border wall. Mr. Trump said he has a new slogan for the next two years for the border wall.
"BUILD A WALL & CRIME WILL FALL! This is the new theme, for two years until the Wall is finished (under construction now), of the Republican Party. Use it and pray!" the president tweeted Wednesday morning.
A CBS News poll released Wednesday morning found seven in 10 Americans don't think the border wall is worth the current partial government shutdown. More Americans blame Mr. Trump for the shutdown than Democrats, and more Americans think Pelosi is handling shutdown negotiations better than Mr. Trump.
After Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi officially canceled his State of the Union address Wednesday, Mr. Trump told reporters that's because she doesn't want to hear the truth.