Donald Trump will ask Congress to provide $8.6bn for his US-Mexico border wall when he presents his 2020 budget on Monday, setting the stage for another battle with Democrats over what they dismiss as a “vanity” project.
The request comes as Democrats and some Republicans try to block the president’s recent declaration of a national emergency, which was an effort to bypass Congress and obtain money for the wall. Mr Trump took the contentious measure after Congress provided just $1.4bn for the wall for fiscal 2019.
Larry Kudlow, the top White House economic adviser, on Sunday told Fox News that Mr Trump would request additional money for the wall, which was one of the core planks of his 2016 presidential campaign. A senior US administration official said the request would be $8.6bn.