WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump sought Wednesday to gain leverage from a terrorist attack at a Christmas market in France in a battle with Democratic congressional leaders over funding of his long-promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
In a morning tweet, Trump referred to the incident in the eastern French city of Strasbourg as he made an appeal to Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for votes on border security.
"Another very bad terror attack in France," Trump wrote. "We are going to strengthen our borders even more. Chuck and Nancy must give us the votes to get additional Border Security!"
The suspect accused in the Strasbourg attack on Tuesday is a French native, not an immigrant. Police were hunting Wednesday for Cherif Chekatt, born in Strasbourg and well-known to law enforcement.
Trump's tweet came less than 24 hours after an extraordinary Oval Office meeting with Schumer and Pelosi in which they publicly sparred with Trump over his demand for $5 billion for the border wall that he made a central promise of his 2016 campaign.
Democrats have offered no more than $1.3 billion for border fencing as part of a larger budget deal.
The spat ended with the president declaring he would be proud to shut down the government to get the money he wants for the wall.
If the president follows through on the threat, about 25 percent of the federal government would begin to run out of money Dec. 21, putting hundreds of thousands of federal workers at risk of getting furloughed without pay just before Christmas.
During remarks Wednesday on the Senate floor, Schumer did not directly respond to Trump's tweet but called his promised wall "a petty campaign pledge to fire up his base."
Republican leaders, meanwhile, said they have the votes in the House to approve Trump's request for $5 billion for the southern border wall in a must-pass spending bill -- but weren't sure they wanted to bring it up with no assurance that the plan could get the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.
The burden "is on the Senate to negotiate what they can get with 60 votes," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., a member of House leadership and a key vote-counter.
"It is my hope and it's my thought that the Senate should work this thing out," McHenry said.
That appeared unlikely Wednesday, as Democrats reiterated their opposition to spending more than $1.6 billion on border security and Republicans urged Trump to remain steadfast.
"This is a fight we're going to have. He needs to dig in and not give in," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a key Trump ally.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said the central question is, "Who's going to give? The president doesn't look to me like he's going to budge. I don't think he's bluffing."
Kennedy said Pelosi appeared to be calling the shots for Democrats, "and she's not going to make any concessions because she wants to be the next speaker."
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who supports Trump's $5 billion request for the wall, said House leaders were "working through" the funding bill. Asked if the House would vote on the $5 billion request, McCarthy said, "That's the number I always search for."
Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, who is set to become the No. 3 House Republican in January, said House Republicans "stand ready to pass whatever the Senate can get passed" and Trump will sign.
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the Oval Office spectacle likely helped Republicans get the votes needed in the House to approve Trump's $5 billion wall request. Republicans were incensed at Pelosi's repeated statements to Trump that he does not have the votes for the wall in the House.
"There's nothing like the other side saying 'You can't get this' to make it easier for GOP leaders to say to wavering Republicans, 'Hey, guys, we need you on this one,'" Cole said.
Information for this article was contributed by John Wagner, James McAuley and Erica Werner of The Washington Post; and by Matthew Daly, Catherine Lucey, Alan Fram, Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro of The Associated Press.
A Section on 12/13/2018