President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the press pool as he departs the White House for a visit to the border region in Texas.  The majority of the remarks focus on the need for border security and the partial government shutdown.

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[Transcript] South Lawn – 9:32 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: So, we’re going to Texas. We’re going to the border. Just spoke with some of my friends in Arizona. We have tremendous support. The Republicans are extremely united. They all want to see something happen, but they’re extremely united. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen unity like this in the Republican Party.
The media — which I call the “opposition party,” a lot of the media — in coordination with the Democrats, they’re not talking about the Democrats folding. For instance, this morning, a number of people came out and said, “You do need very strong border security, and that includes a wall or whatever it is.” A number of Democrats said that, but people don’t like to report on it.
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House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appears on Fox News to give the backstory of the meeting between President Trump, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

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The new Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lindsey Graham, met with U.S. Attorney General nominee William Barr earlier today.  After the meeting Graham answers media questions about their conversation as well as Graham’s reaction to Trump’s prime-time address Tuesday and the news of Rod Rosenstein’s expected departure.

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Senator Graham outlined that AG Nominee William Barr and Robert Mueller are close personal friends for decades. “They’ve been personal friends for over 20 years,” Graham said, noting they worked together previously at the Department of Justice. “His opinion of Mr. Mueller is very, very high in terms of ethics and character and professionalism.”
Graham said Barr’s and Mueller’s wives attend Bible study together and Mueller has attended the weddings of two of Barr’s daughters. “I didn’t know that they were that close personally,” Graham said.
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Vice President Mike Pence, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Senate Majority Whip John Thune describe the events at a White House meeting with President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Dick Durbin….  Things did not go well:

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It would appear congress is at loggerheads over border security, with democrats unwilling to provide any funding that might secure the southern border.  Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have stated the border is secure; there are no illegal border crossings actually taking place; and there is no crisis.  As such, the partial government shutdown continues.
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Surrounded by key Decepticon leadership, Barrasso, Graham, Thune and McConnell, together with Vice-President Mike Pence –  President Donald Trump tells reporters at the U.S. Capitol that Senate Republicans are “unified” as he seeks border security funding before ending the government shutdown.

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Vice-President Mike Pence is the President of the U.S. Senate. Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) is President Pro Tempore. Senator Mitch McConnell (KY) is Senate Majority Leader. Senator John Thune (SD) is Senate Majority Whip. Senator John Barrasso (WY) is Chairman of the Republican Conference.
Note: Watch Barrasso’s eyes.
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President Donald Trump signs the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (S. 1862) which tightens criteria for whether countries are meeting standards for eliminating trafficking.
After discussing the issues surrounding the horrific human trafficking network, President Trump connected the human trafficking crisis to urgent need for border security.  The President also answered questions from the media about ongoing issues within government.

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President Trump has signed four bills in recent weeks that demonstrate the bipartisan commitment to end human trafficking.
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Comprehensive border security, and funding for a barrier therein, is the central topic in President Trump’s first Oval Office address.  President Trump will speak directly to the American people at the close of Day 18 of a partial government shutdown.  The anticipated start time is 9:00pm EST.   WH Livestream Link
UPDATE: Video Added

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[Transcript] Oval Office – 9:01 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans: Tonight, I am speaking to you because there is a growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border.
Every day, Customs and Border Patrol agents encounter thousands of illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. We are out of space to hold them, and we have no way to promptly return them back home to their country.
America proudly welcomes millions of lawful immigrants who enrich our society and contribute to our nation. But all Americans are hurt by uncontrolled, illegal migration. It strains public resources and drives down jobs and wages. Among those hardest hit are African Americans and Hispanic Americans.
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Following a meeting between Vice-President Mike Pence, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and acting WH chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney, the House leadership team (Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Liz Cheney) deliver remarks to the capitol press:

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White House – We are no longer in a status quo situation at the Southern Border but in a crisis situation. Status quo funding is not enough.

• In fiscal year (FY) 2018, 17,000 adults at the border with existing criminal records were arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and border agents.
• In FY2017 and FY2018, ICE officers arrested approximately 235,000 aliens on various criminal charges or convictions within the interior of the United States—including roughly 100,000 for assault, 30,000 for sex crimes, and 4,000 for homicides.
• We are now averaging 60,000 illegal and inadmissible aliens a month on our Southern Border.

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White House policy counselor Kellyanne Conway delivers impromptu remarks to the media about the primary administration concerns surrounding the current crisis at the U.S. southern border.
Ms. Conway outlines a compelling case around the President’s concerns about human trafficking, drug smuggling, entry-points for terror threats, and the intent of open-border advocates to overwhelm the U.S. immigration system (800,000 asylum claim backlog).  However, at 05:34 of the video below – the insufferable Acosta happens:

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Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett appears with Lou Dobbs to discuss the strength of the U.S. economy, the partial government shutdown and the Trump administration’s trade talks with China.
Mr. Hassett, a happy warrior, walks through the recent economic data and jobs report.

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