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President Donald Trump delivers a televised address to the nation from his desk in the Oval Office about immigration and the southern U.S. border on the 18th day of a partial government shutdown at the White House in Washington, Jan. 8, 2019.
President Donald Trump delivers a televised address to the nation from his desk in the Oval Office about immigration and the southern U.S. border on the 18th day of a partial government shutdown at the White House in Washington, Jan. 8, 2019.

Trump Makes Case for Southern Border Wall, Democrats Respond

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President Donald Trump addressed the nation Tuesday to make the case that his wall along the U.S.-Mexico border must be funded. It was his first prime-time address from the Oval Office. After Trump's address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer provided the Democratic response.

Much of Trump's focus is on the idea that lax security has led to drugs and crime "pouring" over the border. Trump bases the claim on the idea that members of the MS-13 gang have committed violent crimes in some parts of the United States.

But there is missing context: the vast majority of illicit drugs captured at the border come through legal ports of entry, according to the U.S Custom's and Border Protection agancy. For the first 11 months of the 2018 fiscal year, 90 percent of the heroin intercepted at the border and 88 percent of the cocaine, was captured at a legal port of entry rather than between those ports.

Trump finishes his address, making his case for a border wall, in about 10 minutes.

Now waiting for Democratic response.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opens the Democratic response, saying the House passed legislation that would address border security.

Pelosi says the more than $5 billion President Trump is seeking for his border wall was supposed to be paid for by Mexico.

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