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President Trump addresses nation about border security amid government shutdown

donald trump graphic
Chelsea Beck
/
NPR

Tonight from the Oval Office, President Donald Trump will address the nation about border security amid an ongoing, partial shutdown of the federal government. Watch live at 6 p.m.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer will give a joint response immediately following the president's remarks.

WATCH LIVE AT 6 P.M.

UPDATE 8 p.m.: NPR News fact-checks Trump's speech

The shutdown is one of the longest the country has seen, as Trump's stalemate with Democrats continues over funding for a wall along the southern border. Both Democratic leaders have repeatedly called on Trump to reopen the rest of the government while border negotiations continue. 

Trump’s administration has been discussing the idea of declaring a national emergency to allow him to move forward with the wall without Congress approving the more than $5 billion he wants.

The president plans to visit the southern border Thursday after the address, his first from the Oval Office, as he tries to put pressure on resistant Democrats. 

The White House, which requested eight minutes to make the case on TV Tuesday night, invited representatives from cable news outlets to lunch ahead of the address in a gesture that is usually reserved for the lead-up to State of the Union speeches.

Meanwhile, many on social media called for a boycott of the speech. The hashtag #BoycottTrumpPrimeTime was trending early in the day. All of the major TV news networks decided to grant airtime, despite ongoing debate.

Some journalists and news organizations, including NPR, underscored the need for special coverage of the president's address, to build context and fact-check his remarks as they air.

Others noted that the event is different in nature from those that came before it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Kari Plog is a former KNKX reporter who covered the people and systems in Pierce, Thurston and Kitsap counties, with an emphasis on police accountability.