U.S President Donald Trump says he will make a “major announcement” on January 19 about the partial government shutdown and the security situation around the country's southern border.
"I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow afternoon at 3 P.M. [8 p.m. GMT], live from the @WhiteHouse," Trump tweeted on January 18. He did not provide any further details.
The government has been shuttered for four weeks over Trump's insistence that a wider budget measure include $5.7 billion in funding for a wall on the border with Mexico -- and the refusal by Democrats to do so.
The shutdown, which has left about 800,000 federal workers without pay, is now the longest in the country's history -- and there is no sign of a compromise. Many government employees are now working without pay, having missed their first payday of 2019.
Trump has openly talked about declaring a state of emergency on the border with Mexico in a move to try to secure funding for the wall without congressional approval. Such a declaration would likely be challenged in the courts.
Trump Promises 'Major Announcement' About Border Security, Government Shutdown
U.S. government workers and their supporters hold signs during a protest in Boston, Friday, Jan.11, 2019