Trump visits border amid US shutdown wall row

US President Donald Trump has threatened again to declare a national emergency to fund a border wall without Congress's approval.

"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency," he told reporters.

The White House has denied reports the possibility of diverting funds set aside for reconstruction projects was being explored.

The money would also have to come from funds allocated by Congress for other purposes - which some Republicans would also oppose.The government has been in partial shutdown for 20 days, leaving about 800,000 federal employees without pay.
President Trump refuses to sign legislation to fund and reopen the government if it does not include $5.7bn (£4.5bn) for a physical barrier along the US-Mexico border.

• How much of Trump's wall has been built?
• What border politicians think of Trump's wall
• How much has shutdown hit US economy?

But budget talks have come to a standstill as Democrats - who control the House of Representatives - refuse to give him the money. Republican leaders insist the party stands behind the president, although some Republican lawmakers have spoken out in favour of ending the shutdown.

How could Trump pay for the wall without Congress?

On Thursday, Mr Trump visited a border patrol station in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
He said that if Congress did not approve funding for the wall, he would "probably... I would almost say definitely" declare a national emergency to bypass lawmakers.
But such a move is likely to face legal challenges.
But one of his supporters, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, said he could not "see a pathway forward" and urged President Trump to declare a national emergency.
Analysts say such a move would provide political cover to reopen government while allowing Mr Trump to argue he had done all he could to fulfil one of his main campaign promises.
The BBC's David Willis in Washington says that, with no further talks with the Democrats planned, declaring an emergency now seems the most likely option for the president.
NBC News reported on Thursday that Mr Trump had been briefed on one plan that would involve diverting funding allocated to reconstruction projects in disaster areas, including Puerto Rico, to pay for the wall.
But White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later denied the reports. "The NBC story is totally false, fake news, but doesn't mean the president won't talk to them at some point," she said.

How did Trump make his case for the wall?

Mr Trump spoke at McAllen station, behind a display of weapons and cash said to have been seized by the border patrol.
He was joined by border patrol agents, and relatives of people killed by illegal immigrants.

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