Some Democratic lawmakers privately admit that President Donald Trump’s proposed barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border is necessary, Congressman Denver Riggleman told WMAL’s “Mornings on the Mall” Monday.
LISTEN: @RepRiggleman On #Shutdown: Moderate Democrats Have Told Me That ‘I Just Wish He [Trump] Said Physical Barrier And Not Wall, I Could Probably Vote For It.'” @WMALDC #MOTM @Thedcvince #va #borderwall https://t.co/jWE1xFkfrr
— WMAL DC (@WMALDC) January 14, 2019
“I have talked to other Democrats … a lot of these moderate Democrats see that it has gone on way too long,” Riggleman said, adding that one colleague told him, “I just wish you said physical barrier and not ‘wall’ … and then we could vote for it.”
The congressman continued to Daily Caller Editorial Director Vince Coglianese, “If we’re down to that point, that means the Democratic leadership is doing something very political over there. You’re starting to see rumblings on the Democratic side.”
US workers are photographed during construction of 32km of the border wall by order of US President Donald Trump on the border between Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico and Santa Teresa, New Mexico state, US, on April 17, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / HERIKA MARTINEZ / Getty Images
Riggleman’s comments come after freshman Democratic congresswoman Katie Hill told CNN Friday that she would vote to fund a physical barrier along the border. “I will vote for some money for physical barriers,” Hill said, in the first public break with Democratic leadership.
Trump is demanding $5.7 billion in funding for a border barrier of some kind with Democratic lawmakers saying they will give him no more than $1.6 billion. (Related: Democratic Rep. Katie Hill Says She Would Fund Border Barrier, Blames Impasse On ‘Semantics’)
Democrats have refused to budge from their position of $1.6 billion with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, telling Trump in a situation room meeting last week that even if Trump reopened the government, they would not negotiate.
Trump is now exploring funding options to begin construction on the wall, including declaring a national emergency.