Speaking before a meeting about human trafficking at the White House Friday afternoon, President Trump told reporters people should be chanting "finish the wall" and argued parts of a border wall with Mexico are already being built.
“The chant should be now, finish the wall,” Trump said. “We haven’t declared the national emergency yet, but we’re building the wall.”
"We are doing things right now. We’re building it with funds on hand. We’re negotiating very tough prices, we’ve designed a much better looking wall that is also actually a better wall, which is actually an interesting combination - it’s far more beautiful and it’s better - it’s much more protective," he continued. "The wall that they used to build were not very attractive."
Trump expressed doubt Democrats and Republicans will be able to come up with a border security deal that includes funding for a barrier or wall by February 15. That's when the government will re-close without some kind of compromise.
"We will be looking at a national emergency because I don’t think anything’s going to happen. I don’t think Democrats want border security. And when I hear them talk about the fact that walls are immoral and walls don’t work. They know they work," he said.
NEW: "We will be looking at a national emergency, because I don't think anything's going to happen," Pres. Trump says amid congressional negotiations over border security proposal. https://t.co/KZ1ZdDlIfk pic.twitter.com/eq12lauAiw
— ABC News (@ABC) February 1, 2019
The President also gave a preview of his State of the Union Address, scheduled for next Tuesday, and encouraged Americans and reporters to "listen carefully."