Trump loses his rag

Reports coming out of the session Donald Trump had with Congressional leaders at the White House over government funding and The Wall suggest the president lost his rag. He was said to have used the 'f' word on a number of occasions, indicating that he is getting increasingly angry at the Democrats' refusal to give him the $5 billion he wants for his Mexico wall. According to the New York Times, Trump hasn't managed to extend the existing security barrier along the border by an inch since becoming president. Which is petty embarrassing for him, as The Wall was one of his biggest pledges during his election campaign. So that means, assuming it's true, that all the work carried out by the US Army Corps of Engineers has just involved strengthening and heightening the existing security barriers which apparently run for 654 miles. But these barriers are an assortment of different sizes, some of which are considered inadequate for stopping ingenious illegal immigrants. Trump wants a brand new wall, based on a prototype already designed and ready to buy, to run for at least 1,000 miles along the southern border. So $5 billion is just a spit in the ocean. But at this stage it's all symbolic. Once he gets the Democrats to hand over the first $5 billion it will make it easier for him to go back and ask for more. The Democrats of course know this and are digging in, refusing to listen to Trump's pleas. So that's why, I guess, the president resorted to the 'f' word to emphasise his displeasure. I doubt Nancy Pelosi was impressed. She certainly wasn't cowed by his outburst. She is determined not to give in. Then up pops Mick Mulvaney, the new go-to White House chief of staff, during one of the dreadful Sunday TV chat shows today and indicates Trump might be ready to compromise in order to lift the government shutdown. I don't know whether that was Mulvaney doing a bit of ad-libbing or whether Trump had told him to say it. But certainly during his 'f' word meeting at the White House Trump offered no hint of a compromise. He wants that wall to be well on the way before he starts his reelection campaign. And if the Democrats fail to provide the funding I suspect there are going to be a lot more 'f' word rows.