Top ranking government officials met Friday Jan. 4 in an attempt to find a solution for the government shutdown that is dragging into its third week due to the dispute over President Trump’s demand for $5 billion for a southern border wall.

“Trump has put himself in a tough position,” Maddie Baildon ’19 said. “Congress is calling his bluff but he is trying to intimidate them into building the wall and it will be interesting to see how he will try maneuver his way out of this.”

In an interview with CBS, News House Speaker Nancy Pelosi voiced frustrations about the negotiations on the national budget.

“The impression we get from the president, is that, he would not only like to build a wall but also abolish Congress so the only voice that mattered was his own,” Pelosi said.

Trump has threatened to declare a state of emergency to allow him to begin construction on the wall without congressional approval, but his declaration would likely be challenged legally. The President would need to prove that the situation on the Mexican border constitutes an emergency.

According to ABS, Trump claimed to expect “some very serious talks come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,” but it remains to be seen if any significant progress will be made.