Trump is considering a raid on the Pentagon budget to fund his border wall, report says
- President Donald Trump instructed the White House budget office to look into using the Department of Defense's budget to build his desired border wall, Axios reported.
- Specifically, the office is said to be looking into using Pentagon funds without going through Congress.
- The news comes 19 days into a partial government shutdown as a result of a disagreement between Trump and Congressional Democrats on funding the $5 billion wall.
The White House is considering using the Pentagon budget to fund President Donald Trump's proposed $5 billion border wall between US and Mexico, according to Axios.
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been looking into ways to secure funding for the wall without going through Congress, the news site reported, citing a source close to OMB Deputy Director Russ Vought.
Specifically, the OMB - under Trump's command - is looking into whether he can use Department of Defense money to fund the wall without requiring Congress' permission, Axios said.
It is "one of a couple of possibilities being seriously contemplated," the news site added.
The the news comes 19 days into a partial federal government shutdown, which began on December 22 when Trump reached a stalemate with Congressional Democrats while trying to secure $5 billion of funding for his proposed wall along the US-Mexico border.
Trump addressed the nation during prime time TV Tuesday night, characterizing the state of the US-Mexico border as a "crisis" that only Congress can solve by building a physical wall.
The president has routinely blamed Congressional Democrats for refusing to fund the wall, which was the central pledge of his 2016 presidential campaign.