It's the billion-dollar-and-change question: Will President Trump sign a tentative bipartisan border deal that would allocate $1.38 billion for border fencing (he has maintained he needs $5.7 billion) and avoid a second government shutdown at midnight Friday? USA Today reports the House has scheduled a vote for Thursday, and the president on Wednesday said he'll look for "land mines" in the bill before making his decision, per Reuters. A sampling of what is being predicted and hoped for:
- The AP: "Under mounting pressure from his own party, President Donald Trump appears to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting [the] agreement."
- New York Times: It sees a Tuesday night tweet as "signal[ing] acceptance" of the deal. Trump wrote, "Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard working Senator Richard Shelby. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources...."
- CNN: Two sources tell it Trump will sign the deal.
- Wall Street Journal: Its sources also say Trump will sign, "unless there are any late additions."
- Sarah Sanders: Politico described her as "noncommittal" on Wednesday. "The president wants to see what final package looks like and he’ll make a decision at that point."
- USA Today: "President Donald Trump sent signals he is willing to sign the deal while seeking other sources of money for his border wall."
- Mitch McConnell: "I hope he signs the bill."
- Wall Street Journal editorial board: "He could refuse to sign it and endure the political damage from another government shutdown. But he'd do better by himself, his party and the country by following the advice that Senator George Aiken famously offered during the Vietnam War: Declare victory and get out."
How else might Trump fund the wall? CNN looks at four ways he could access money, and whether he'd need to declare a national emergency to do so,
here. (Trump said Tuesday
he wasn't "thrilled" with the deal.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
