Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh told his listeners on Thursday afternoon that President Trump got word to him that he would veto any government funding bill that doesn’t include money for his proposed border wall.
Limbaugh made the comments minutes after Trump met with a group of House Republicans at the White House to discuss efforts to pass a government funding bill that would avert a partial government shutdown starting Saturday.
Trump hinted throughout the day Thursday that he would not sign a stopgap spending measure passed by the Senate the previous night without his requested $5 billion in border wall funding. House Republicans demanded the money at a meeting earlier in the day.
“The president got word to me 20 minutes ago that if it comes back to him without money, if whatever happens in the House and Senate comes back to him with no allocation of $5 billion for the wall, then he’s going to veto it,” Limbaugh said on his program.{mosads}
The host made the comments after spending most of his nationally syndicated program urging the president to veto a bill that does not include the border wall money. Conservative pundits and lawmakers have slammed the Senate bill for not including the wall funding.
“Veto this thing and then head down to Mar-a-Lago,” Limbaugh said, referring to Trump’s Florida resort where he has spent most winter weekends during his presidency.
“I will meet you on the first tee wherever you want to play golf, whenever, and this will end up being resolved in your favor,” he added.
Limbaugh is a staunch supporter of the president, and even joined Trump at a rally in Missouri ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. Trump also called the 67-year-old host in August to congratulate him on the 30th anniversary of his radio program.
“I happen to think it’s a great political thing because people want border security,” Trump said to Limbaugh by phone on Aug. 3. “It’s not just the wall, Rush, as you know. It’s border security.”
After the meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday, outgoing Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) told reporters that the president said he would not sign the stopgap bill, known as a continuing resolution, that would fund the government through Feb. 8.