TRUMP IS SET TO DECLARE A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

In about 45 minutes ago, President Donald Trump has personally twitted his preparedness to declare a national emergency over the Southern border. President Donald Trump says he is nearing a decision to declare a national emergency on the southern border, which he will visit in person Thursday.

The President warned as he departed the White House he would take the step if talks with Democrats continue to crumble.

"If this doesn't work out, probably I will do it, I would almost say definitely," Trump said. "This is a national emergency."

Inching closer to using his executive authority to secure funds for a border wall, Trump said his lawyers have advised him he's within his rights to take the step.

"The lawyers have so advised me. I'm not prepared to do that yet, but if I have to, I will. I have no doubt about it, I will," Trump said.

"If we don't make a deal, I would say 100%. I don't want to say 100% because maybe something else comes up," he went on. "But if we don't make a deal, I would say it would be very surprising to me that I would not declare a national emergency and just fund it through the various mechanisms."

Trump departed for the southern border to make the case for the wall on Thursday, the 20th day of the government shutdown.

He is expected to participate in a round table on immigration and border security at the US Border Patrol McAllen Station. He will also receive a briefing on border security at the Rio Grande before returning to Washington later in the evening.

As evidenced by his remarks, it increasingly appears Trump could declare a national emergency in order to fund his wall and then sign the spending bills to open up the government, according to a White House official. Talks with Democrats stalled Wednesday after House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi told the President she would not support building a barrier structure on the US-Mexico border.

Ahead of his departure, the President was still stewing about the Situation Room meeting that began with sweets but quickly turned sour.

"Cryin Chuck told his favorite lie when he used his standard sound bite that I 'slammed the table & walked out of the room. He had a temper tantrum.' Because I knew he would say that, and after Nancy said no to proper Border Security, I politely said bye-bye and left, no slamming!" Trump insisted on Twitter.

With talks at even more of a stalemate, officials inside the administration increasingly feel like an emergency declaration is one of few options.

In an unusual move, Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel, is traveling with the President to the southern border Thursday. Trump is not expected to declare a national emergency while there, though people close to the President caution this could change. There has been serious debate internally about the legal ramifications of Trump declaring a national emergency so he can build his border wall without congressional approval.

"I have the absolute right to do national emergency if I want," Trump told reporters Wednesday.

While it's not certain Trump will declare an emergency, the White House likes being able to hold the card over Democrats who they say have refused to compromise or even negotiate.

White House officials, even those who feel they've "won" the shutdown messaging so far, say they believe things will take a turn starting Friday, when hundreds of thousands of federal workers won't receive their paychecks. Things could only get worse on Saturday, when news outlets and television networks will be able to declare this the longest continuous shutdown in US history.

As Trump makes his pitch for a barrier on the southern border, he's acknowledged the Texas trip is simply for publicity.

"It's not going to change a damn thing, but I'm still doing it," Trump said of the border visit during a meeting between the President and network anchors Tuesday afternoon.

Trump referenced his advisers Bill Shine, Kellyanne Conway and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who were all in the room during the off-the-record meeting, first reported by the New York Times, and said they convinced him the trip would be "worth it."