The government is STILL shut down

Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen sought to portray the situation at the southern border as a "crisis" during her presentation to lawmakers who gathered in the Situation Room with President Trump on Wednesday afternoon, two senior administration officials said.

The two senior administration officials said the President listened to Democrats, but is ultimately waiting for Democrats to make a "good faith offer" that would include additional border security funding.

The officials said the White House does not plan to make Democrats a new offer before Trump meets again with lawmakers on Friday.

President Trump and former President Jimmy Carter are the only presidents to oversee government shutdowns while their party controlled both chambers of Congress.

2018 is the second year in US history to feature three government shutdowns. The first was in 1977, when Carter oversaw three shutdowns in three consecutive months. 

Another important note: If the government shutdown extends until the inauguration of the 116th Congress on Jan. 3, it would mark the first time ever that a federal government shutdown has extended into two different Congresses.

It would also mark the first time ever that a chamber of Congress changed power in the middle of a government shutdown.

Arriving back at the Capitol, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said there was no progress made today towards ending the shutdown.

McConnell reiterated that the he won’t put the continuing resolution the House Democrats plan to pass tomorrow on the Senate floor because President Trump has said he won’t sign it.

Democrats emerging from a meeting with President Trump indicated there was no breakthrough that might lead to a reopening of the government.

"Our question to the President and to the Republicans is why don’t you accept what you have already done to open up government?" said Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the presumed new House Speaker.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, said he asked Trump in a meeting on border security in the Situation Room why the government couldn't be reopened while they two sides resolve their differences on the border.

He added:

"The only reason that they are shutting down the government is very simple. They want to try and leverage that shutdown into their proposals on border security. We want strong border security. We believe ours are better."

"To use the shutdown as hostage — which they had no argument against — is wrong," Schumer said.

President Trump has invited lawmakers to return to the White House on Friday, after leadership races, to continue discussing a path to reopening the government.

Several congressional leaders met with Trump today.

"He asked us to come back on Friday after the leadership races," said Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy following a meeting on border security in the White House Situation Room. 

McCarthy said Democrats in the meeting — including Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi — did not appear interested in listening to Homeland Security Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen.

President Trump brought along a special prop to today's Cabinet meeting — a poster featuring an image of himself and the words: "Sanctions are coming" (a play on the well-known "Game of Thrones" saying, "Winter is coming").

Why? Well, we're not entirely sure.

Trump mentioned in his meeting that sanctions have worked with regards to Iran, but made no mention of North Korea — Kim Jong Un just yesterday warned the US on sanctions in New Year’s address.

The poster may have served as a reminder to both countries that more sanctions are never more than a season away.

It's not the first time we've seen this image: Trump first shared it in November on his social platforms. HBO told CNN at the time, "We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes."

HBO issued a more humorous response on Twitter, asking followers: "How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?"

Author George R.R. Martin, whose "A Song of Ice and Fire" series is the basis for the epic show, also responded on Twitter with an image of his own.

"Fear cuts deeper than swords," the tweet read. "Vote. Tuesday the 6th."

President Trump insisted he wouldn't accept anything less than $2.5 billion for his long-promised border wall.

He said more federal dollars are spent in Afghanistan in a month than for the wall.

"I mean, we spend in Afghanistan more in one month than what we're talking about for the wall. Think of that, okay. That's another way," Trump said.

He said $5.6 billion isn't much for border security.

He added that the shutdown could last "a long time and it could be quickly."

President Donald Trump was asked to speculate on how much longer he thinks the government shutdown will last.

“It could be a long time, and it could be quickly,” he told reporters during his Cabinet meeting.

He lamented being all by himself in the White House over the Christmas holiday, having made the decision to stay in Washington and forego his Palm Beach vacation due to the shutdown. He said he waved to machine gun-toting security on the White House lawn. 

He continued, “It’s a big, big house except for all those guys out on the lawn with machine guns. Nicest machine guns. I was waving to them. I never saw so many guys with machine guns in my life. Secret Service and military, these are great people. They don’t play games. They don’t like waves. They don’t even smile. But I was there all alone with the machine gunners and I felt very safe.”

Trump said he was hoping Congressional leadership would come to negotiate an end to the shutdown.

“I was hoping that maybe somebody would come back and negotiate, but they didn’t do that,” he said.

President Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, saying the country was not worth the US effort.

Questioned about a timeline for withdrawing US troops from Syria, Trump did not offer a specific number of months.

"Somebody said four months. I didn't say that," he said, adding later: "I think it's just over a period of time."

Trump's decision to withdraw was a facet of former Pentagon chief James Mattis' decision to resign.

Watch the moment: