"I've told a lot of people I don't expect much coming out of the committee", Trump said, in reference to a bipartisan congressional panel that is working to clinch a deal. "The problem is if they [Democrats] don't give us a wall, it doesn't work".
The committee began meeting on Wednesday in an effort to reach a funding deal that would spare the country another partial government shutdown. Lawmakers passed last Friday legislation to temporarily reopen the government after it had been closed for 35 days, the longest shutdown in US history.
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Neither Trump nor his Democratic opponents in Congress appear ready to yield ground to end the dispute.
Earlier on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated that Democrats would refuse to back any funding legislation that includes money for a wall.
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On 25 January, Trump signed a temporary three-week budget to end the shutdown without getting the $5.7 billion he had demanded from the Congress for a wall along the southern border. Trump is reportedly expected to continue talks with the Democrats on the full-fledged budget within next three weeks.
