welcome to bbc news — broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. and we're bringing you special coverage of donald trump's address to the nation. the president is expected to appeal directly to the american people — seeking support for his controversial border wall. afterwards, the democrats will give their response, calling for the us government to get back to work. yet the shutdown continues — it's been in effect for 17 days, with no end in sight. president trump is about to address the nation to make his case for why the us needs to build a wall along the mexican border. it was one of his big election promises, although on the campaign trail, he insisted mexico would pay for it.

now he wants funding from the us congress, and the political row over that has partially shut down the government. watching his pitch to the nation will be hundreds of thousands of federal workers who, because of the shutdown, are not being paid. the president says he won't allow any bills to pass to reopen the government, unless congress agrees to give him $5 billion to start building. our correspondent rajini vaidyanathan has been listening to the speech and she joins us from washington. this is a huge pitchford donald trump. we can go straight across and listen to him. 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 that country. america proudly welcomes minions 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 is oui’ wages. among those hardest hit is our african—americans and hispanic americans. our southern border as a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs including heroin, meth, cocaine and fentanil. every year, people are killed by heroin alone. drugs flood from across the southern border. more americans will die from drugs this year than were killed in the entire vietnam war. in

the last two years macro —— ice officers made thousands of arrests officers made thousands of arrests of aliens with criminal records including those charged or convicted of 100,000 assaults, 30,000 sex crimes and 4000 violent killings. over the years, thousands of americans have been brutally killed by those who illegally entered our country and thousands more lives will be lost if we don't act right 110w. will be lost if we don't act right now. this is a humanitarian crisis. a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul. last month, 20,000 migrant children were illegally brought into the united states, a dramatic increase. these children are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes a nd are used as human pawns by vicious coyotes and ruthless gangs. one in three women are sexually assaulted

on the dangerous track up through mexico. women and children are the biggest victims by far of our broken system. this is the tragic reality of illegal immigration on our southern border. this is the cycle of human suffering that i am determined to end. my administration has presented congress with a detailed proposal to secure the border and stop the criminal —— the criminal gangs, drug smugglers and human traffickers. it's a tremendous problem. our proposal was developed by law enforcement professionals and border agents at the department of homeland security. these are the resources they have requested to properly perform their mission and keep america safe. in fact, safer than ever before. the proposal from homeland security includes cutting—edge technology for

detecting drugs, weapons, illegal contraband detecting drugs, weapons, illegal contra band and many detecting drugs, weapons, illegal contraband and many other things. we have requested more agents, immigrationjudges have requested more agents, immigration judges and bed have requested more agents, immigrationjudges and bed space have requested more agents, immigration judges and bed space to process the sharp rise in unlawful migration fuelled by our very strong economy. our plan also contains an urgent request for humanitarian assistance and medical support. furthermore, we have asked congress to close border security loopholes so to close border security loopholes so that illegal immigrant children can be safely and humanely returned back home. finally, as part of an overall approach to border security, law enforcement professionals have requested $5.7 billion for a physical barrier at the request of democrats, it will be a steel barrier rather than a concrete wall. this barrier is absolutely critical to border security. it is also what

oui’ to border security. it is also what our professionals at the border want and need. this isjust commonsense. the border wall would very quickly paper itself. the cost of illegal drugs exceeds $500 billion a year. lastly more than the $5.7 billion we have requested from congress. the wall will also be paid for indirectly by the great new trade deal we have made with mexico. senator chuck schumer, who you will be hearing from later tonight, has repeatedly supported a physical barrier in the past along with many other democrats. they changed their mind only after i was elected president. democrats in congress have refused to acknowledge the crisis. they have refused to provide oui’ crisis. they have refused to provide our brave border agents with the

tools they desperately need to protect our families and our nation. the federal government remains shut down for one reason and one reason only, because democrats will not fund border security. my administration is doing everything in our power to help those impacted by the situation. but the only solution is for democrats to pass a spending bill that defends our borders and reopens the government. this situation could be solved in a 45- this situation could be solved in a 45— minute meeting. i have invited congressional leadership to the white house tomorrow to get this done. hopefully we can rise above partisan politics in order to support national security. some have suggested a barrier is immoral. then

why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences and gates around their homes? they don't build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside. the only thing thatis people on the inside. the only thing that is immoral is the politicians to do nothing and continue to allow more innocent people to be so horribly victimised. america's heart broke the day after christmas when a young police officer in california was savagely murdered in cold blood by an illegal alien who just came across the border. the life of an american hero was stolen by someone who had no right to be in our country. day after day, precious lives are cut short by those who are —— those who have violated our borders. in california, and air force veteran was raped, murdered

and beaten to death with a hammer by and beaten to death with a hammer by an illegal alien with a long criminal history. in georgia, an illegal alien was recently charged with murderfor killing, the heading and dismembering his neighbour. in maryland, ms 13 gang members who arrived in the united states as unaccompanied minors were arrested and charged last year after viciously stabbing and beating a 16—year—old girl. over the last several years, i've met with dozens of families whose loved ones were stolen by illegal immigration. i've held the hands of the weeping mothers and embraced the grief—stricken fathers. so sad, so terrible. i will never forget the pain in theireyes, terrible. i will never forget the pain in their eyes, the tremble in

their voices and the sadness gripping their souls. how much more american blood must we shared before congress does its job? american blood must we shared before congress does itsjob? for those american blood must we shared before congress does its job? for those who refuse to compromise in the name of border security, i would ask, imagine if it was your child, your husband, or your wife whose life was so husband, or your wife whose life was so coolly shattered and totally broken. for every member of —— member of congress —— for every member of congress —— for every member of congress —— for every member of congress, pass a bill that ends this crisis. every citizen, call congress and tell them to finally, after all these decades, oui’ finally, after all these decades, our border. this is a choice between right and wrong. justice and injustice. this is about whether we fulfil our sacred duty to the american citizens we serve. when i

took the oath of office, price war took the oath of office, price war to protect our country. and that is what i will always do, so help me god. thank you and good night. the president their live from the oval office. we are expecting to hear from the democrats oval office. we are expecting to hearfrom the democrats in oval office. we are expecting to hear from the democrats in a few moments. let's go back life to washington dc. rajini, how significant did you feel this was? you didn't declare a national emergency, perhaps a way to bypass congress and free up funds from military budgets. or did you make of it? this was a very sober president trump. much of the things he said, the arguments that he made in that address for building a wall, was heard them before. i've heard midcampaign rallies and that

presidential speeches but never had i heard them —— never have i heard them delivered in such a measured and sober tone and that was intentional. donald trump is trying to reach out to people who are sceptical of his pledge to want to build a wall and are tired of this ongoing shutdown and that is why he laid down an emotional argument at the end, talking about how much more american blood should we shared in the name of security. he says imagine if your wife or child or husband was affected by something, an immigrant, an illegal immigrant crossing the border. he has used his case there to very personally reach out and at the end of that address, he said, call your congressperson, call them now and make sure they agree to fund that rule. rajini, he spoke about a choice between right

and wrong, a sacred duty to protect the american people. this cycle of human suffering, many would not dispute it but many might say it is policies that have caused it. yes, and the other thing a lot of people will be doing and poring over that speech is actually working out how much in that speech was factually correct. he made one claim i have been reading the washington post saysis been reading the washington post says is not necessarily true, where the us— mexico trade deal would pay for the wall in the long—term. that is something that is found not to be the case and certainly in the past few days, white house officials have been found to mislead the american public when they are sitting out there case for the wall. the press secretary sarah signed is claimed the biggest concern was that suspected terrorists entering the us. —— sarah sanders. the biggest

concern is terrorists not tempting —— not entering by land but at airports. one of the concerns really is how factual is the argument. there is no doubt about it that the president was trying to make an emotive case there and pointing the finger once again but this ongoing shutdown which is well into its third week and you have hundreds of thousands of americans who are not going to draw up a cheque. we might break off in a moment to go to the democrats to this point about the shutdown, they are just about to start speaking. we want to speak to the american people tonight how we can end the shutdown. sadly much of what we heard from president trump about this shutdown has been full of misinformation and even malice. the president has chosen field. we want to start with the facts. the fact

is, on the very first day this congress, house democrats passed the senate republican legislation to re— open government and fund smart effective solutions. but the president is rejecting these bipartisan bills which would reopen government over his session with forcing american taxpayers to waste billions of dollars on an expensive war. a wall he always promised mexico would pay. the fact is president trump has chosen to hold hostage critical services for the health, safety and well— being of the american people and hold hostage the wages of 800,000 innocent americans across the nation, many of them veterans. he promised he would be willing to have shutdown veterans. he promised he would be willing to have shut down for months or years, however much it hurts. that isjust plain wrong. the fact is we all agree we need to secure our borders but i know our values. we can install new technology to

stem the flow of drugs coming into a nation, we can hire the personnel we need to facilitate trade at the border. we can find more innovation to detect unauthorised crossings. the fact is that women and children of the border are not a security threat, they are humanitarian challenge, challenge that president trump's our full and counter—productive trump's our full and counter— productive policies trump's our full and counter—productive policies have only deepened and the fact is president trump must stop holding the american people hostage, stop manufacturing the crisis, and must reopen the government. thank you. thank you, speaker nancy pelosi. my fellow americans, we address you tonight for one reason only. the president of the united states, having failed to get mexico to pay for is ineffective, unnecessary border wall and unable to convince the congress or the american people to foot the bill, has shut down the

government. american democracy does not work that way. we do not governed my temper tantrum, no president should hound the table and mandy gets his way or else the government shuts down. putting millions of americans, who are treated as leverage. —— by. tonight and throughout this debate and throughout his presidency, president trump has appealed to fear, not fa cts , trump has appealed to fear, not facts, division not unity. make no mistake, democrats and the president both want stronger border security. however, we sharply disagree with the president about the most effective way to do it. so, how do we untangle business? well, there is an obvious solution. separate the shutdown from arguments over border security. there is bipartisan legislation, supported by democrats and republicans, to reopen

government, while allowing debate over border security to continue. there is no excuse for hurting millions of americans over a policy different. that workers are about to miss paycheque, some families can't get a mortgage to buy a new home. —— federal workers. farmers and small businesses will not get loans they desperately need. most presidents have used oval office addresses for noble purposes, this presidentjust use the backdrop of the oval office to manufacture a crisis, it struck fear, and and divert attention from the turmoil in his administration. my the turmoil in his administration. my fellow americans, there is no challenge so great that a nation cannot rise to meet it. we can reopen the government and continue to work through disagreements over policy. we can secure border without an ineffective, expensive war, and we can welcome illegal immigrants and refugees, without compromising

safety a nd and refugees, without compromising safety and security. the symbol of america should be the statue of liberty, not the 30 foot wall. so our suggestion is a simple one, mr president, reopen the government and we can work to resolve our differences over water security, but end this shutdown now. thank you. —— border security. responses to the president's address there from the capitalfrom president's address there from the capital from democrat senator chuck schumer, he is the minority leader in the senate. in our studio in washington, dc now is republican commentator ron christie, and in boston, the democratic party strategist, mary anne marsh. ron christie, first of all. the us networks of course, would not carry the national address the barack

obama wanted to give on immigration, they did carry this. it was of very measured president trump, what do you feel about it? well, good evening. i think this was a very, as rajini vaidya nathan evening. i think this was a very, as rajini vaidyanathan mentioned a few moments ago, a very sober and reflective address by the president of united states, using the trappings of the oval office and the office of the presidency, he laid out in very clear terms why he felt this was a national crisis at the border and one of the things i thought was most compelling was he mentioned that more people will die a drug overdoses in the united states then died in the entire then more, which of course is 58,000 americans, and so he tried to appeal to american unity, rather than to appeal to a specific ideological party perspective, something i think the president has long not done, and i think he did it very effectively this evening. mary anne marsh, when you think it leaves us? without an attempted rebuttal from chuck schumer and nancy pelosi. further than that? i think it leaves us

right where we were before the speech tonight. unfortunately, president trump's speech tonight, despite being filled with inaccuracies and false woods, really has nothing to do with immigration, nothing to do with the wall, and everything to do with his attempts to try to hold onto his and support, in case he faces impeachment, the possibility that, or other threats to his ability to hold on to the white house. hold onto his republican support. now you are starting to see republican senators who see him as a liability. already, five republican senators have come out and oppose the shutdown. you have nancy pelosi tonight outlining exactly what is going to do tomorrow. she will start to introduce a series of bills that will go into the house for the reopen the government, department by department, and it is very possible to mind that 15 republican members of the house could support the democrats in reopening the government. if that happens, you will see senators, republican senators do the same thing, and

donald trump will at the end of this week than he is tonight after this speech. ron christie, this issue of funding, the president suggests the wall is going to pay for itself by stopping the trade in illegal drugs. nobody really believes that, do they? are all sorts of ways for illegal drugs to come in the united states. then he says it will be paid for by the new trade deal with mexico, we gather his advisers also have a plan perhaps to stop all the tax mexicans within the united states sending money back to mexico, and it seems the us government might pay to stop that happening. none of this is going to work, is going to have to come from american taxpayers if it is to come at all. i don't know, i have a different perspective on this because i am a californian. a look at the impact this has on our state, we have to spend billions of dollars in services for people who cross our borders illegally. the

notion that somehow wall is not affect his, particularly looking at tier one and san diego, the border with mexico, been proven very effective, so i would want to do, what i would hope all the people here in this town will do is listen to the border control, listen to the department of homeland security, not politicise this issue and talk to the experts in no better than all of us the experts in no better than all of us while take to secure the border. -- tijuana. us while take to secure the border. —— tijuana. but the notion that somehow trump is wrong not humane and democrats on the side of the angels, i think is more of a political question manufacture one. the democrats have two particular problems with this comment the base is solidly behind the wall, a lot of people are in favour of stronger border security and at the moment, it looks like the president and republicans are managing to make the democrats the shutdown? actually, the opposite is true. the fact is donald trump is an unpopular president pushing an unpopular war

and pushing an unpopular shutdown, and pushing an unpopular shutdown, and overwhelmingly, the majority of americans oppose all three and the fa ct americans oppose all three and the fact is, the shutdown in the polls in the united states overwhelmingly is blamed on donald trump first, then the republicans. sidhu not had to shut down the government to solve this problem, yet that is the path donald trump has chosen. —— so you do not have too. the reality is democrats will show tomorrow in the senate will as well, the fact is republicans are starting to back off from donald trump, and remember his bases supporting this country is really 25 to 33%. in a democracy, the majority rules and the majority of americans oppose the shutdown, oppose the war and oppose donald trump, and that is the political reality that donald trump is now facing, that forced him to give the speech tonight, which is not going to change the dynamic. —— wall. well, if this deadlock continues, do you expect the president to try to declare a national emergency to access what, i guess, is usually

military budgets, freeing up funds for the wall by bypassing congress? not necessarily. the national security act 1976 was something that was passed to specifically allow the president the authority to declare national emergencies. you're talking about seizing assets, you talking about seizing assets, you talking about seizing assets, you talking about seizing of funds, particularly looking at iran and regimes that have long been against the united states. the president is, however, well within his legal authority to do so. he could do acid forfeiture, he could do land forfeiture, but i believe the president wants to come toa believe the president wants to come to a combination notjust the democrats do with the american people. this is an issue that we have talked about in the united states for many, many decades but had not come to a resolution to. senator obama, senator biden, this isa senator obama, senator biden, this is a bipartisan solution u nfortu nately, is a bipartisan solution unfortunately, anything that is associated as donald trump is

forward , associated as donald trump is forward, then it seems that the democrats are against it, and i think it as a political institution here in this town, we can do much better much better than that. here in this town, we can do much better much better than thatm does seem that if you tried the national security route, he would face long legal challenges as well. mary anne marsh, what hope do you give for this meeting the president has called on the white house tomorrow? i do not have much hope for the meetings, if you have looked at the coverage of the lost recent meetings, there are just not the facts, statistics and goodwill to try to come to an agreement. and by the way, remember last summer, donald trump had a deal for border security with the dreamers, with the democrats and republicans, and then he rejected it after everybody agreed upon it. so now no—one knows who they are really dealing with whatever donald trump many people do not believe they can really take that in good faith and really trust to keep his word. so this could have been solved last summer, what also happened just before christmas is the republican senate passed a budget that would have funded

government to february and did not include $5 billion for the border security that donald trump wanted, yet he did not shut down the government then. so you can see what a political ploy this is and what is going to happen tomorrow, i am confident, is the house is going to pass a series of bills to reopen the government, pass those department by department, a numberof government, pass those department by department, a number of republicans are going tojoin the democrats and you're going to see a number of republican senators joined them as well, and i think ultimately, we will get the government open before there is any agreement on the border at all. forgive me, the president of course told the press today in a briefing that he felt that any republicans who tried to do that would pay the penalty at the ballot box. when you see this ending? there hundreds of thousands, of course, a federal employees had not been paid. the president says most of those democrats, that he is not paying the price. mary anne marsh festival. the give me, i will come back and just a

second and mary anne marsh first. —— first of all. here is the political reality for republicans. 22 republican senators are pre—election twe nty20. republican senators are pre—election twenty20. a number of the five who have already come out publicly are up have already come out publicly are upfor have already come out publicly are up for re—election. —— are up for re—election in 2020. citing the political reality of this is, we are americans. -- so i think. donald trump has never govern for the americans, he has governed for a small slice of the space and i think ultimately, that is going to hurt him in this. the government will be a considerable ace that they will not be resolution on the border to do it is quite just briefly for me lastly, please, the bottom line here is that this is all about a wall that american taxpayers were never supposed to pay full. —— for.

i disagree with that. if you go back, that was a piece of bipartisan legislation that passed because americans were supposed to pay for our border, i think what you see todayis our border, i think what you see today is a highly toxic legal environment and the question is, who is going to blink first? i agree with mary anne marsh, these are not democrats, these are federal employees who work for a federal government. the responsibility falls on both political parties to find a solution out of this mess, so that we can get the government back up and running again. thank you both very much indeed. thank you for being with us. there is much more on all the news, all the news we could not cover in this special news, on the bbc website any time. you can reach me and most of the team on twitter at any time. i am mike embley. thanks for watching. hello there.

high tides combined with brisk winds to give a little bit of coastal flooding across some parts of eastern england on tuesday. still quite windy and eastern areas on wednesday. those wins feeding some showers and across eastern counties of england, generally speaking to the day ahead, breezy. there will be some good spells of sunshine, kabul thickening to northern ireland in scotland late in the day, bringing some outbreaks of patchy rain. temperatures struggling for most of us, five to seven degrees but feel colder than that given the strength of the wind but a little bit colder across the far south of the north—west. we bring that cold air a little bit south and eastwards, the odd spot of drizzle with it. across wales, the midlands,