President Trump slammed his political foes early Monday, tweeting that Democrats “don’t want” to make a deal on the Obama-era program shielding immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children from deportation.
In a series of tweets Monday morning, the president quoted himself from remarks he made over the weekend, regarding the Democrats and their lack of desire to reach a deal on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
“Statement by me last night in Florida: 'Honestly, I don’t think the Democrats want to make a deal. They talk about DACA, but they don’t want to help..We are ready, willing and able to make a deal but they don’t want to. They don’t want security at the border, they don’t want to stop drugs, they want to take money away from our military which we cannot do,'” Trump tweeted, quoting his comments made Sunday evening to reporters at his resort at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.
In a separate tweet, he added fresh remarks.
TRUMP SAYS DEMS DON'T WANT TO MAKE DACA DEAL, ADDS HE'S 'NOT A RACIST'
“My standard is very simple, AMERICA FIRST & MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” the president tweeted.
Trump and Congress are attempting to reach a deal on comprehensive immigration reform as part of a federal spending bill that Congress must pass by Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The president and Republicans are looking for increased funding for border security and changes to the so-called Visa Lottery System and to “chain migration” programs in exchange for providing permanent protection for so-called “Dreamers.”
Democrats have resisted the Republican "wish list," which drew the president’s ire over the weekend.
The bipartisan negotiations take place in the wake of comments Trump apparently made during a bicameral meeting at the White House last week to discuss immigration.
The president apparently said: “Why are we having all these people from s---hole countries come here?” referencing people from Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and some African countries in temporary protected status program, according to lawmakers who were at the meeting, including Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Trump responded to claims following the remarks that he was a racist.
“I’m not a racist,” Trump said Sunday night to reporters. “I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you.”
Fox News' Samuel Chamberlain contributed to this report.