President Donald Trump tweeted that he hasn't changed his position on building a border wall between Mexico and the U.S. | AP Photo Trump blames 'fake media' as he insists he's not backing off border wall

President Donald Trump on Tuesday aggressively pushed back against the idea that he’s easing away from his pledge to build a massive border wall, imploring his Twitter followers to not “let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL.”

A border wall between the U.S. and Mexico, paid for by the Mexican government, was a foundation of Trump’s campaign, and his overall hard-line stance on immigration became a rallying cry for his supporters, who often chanted “build that wall” at his events.


But as president, Trump has stepped back, albeit slightly, from his position that Mexico would pay for the wall, instead suggesting that taxpayers might foot the initial bill for the sake of expediency. Mexico will eventually pay the U.S. back, Trump has insisted, even though Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has been steadfast in his position that his nation will not pay for the wall under any circumstances.

And with a funding bill due this week to avoid a potentially embarrassing government shutdown, Trump has signaled that he will not insist that money for the wall be included in the must-pass legislation. Still, he has insisted that his stance on the necessity of a border wall has not changed.

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“Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL,” he wrote on Twitter. “It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc.”



Later Tuesday, press secretary Sean Spicer reiterated that "there will be a wall built" and insisted that the president's willingness to accept a government funding bill without money for the border wall would not cause delays. He said "our priorities are clear" for the budget process for fiscal year 2017, and "we'll continue to ask for more in" fiscal year 2018.

While funding for the wall may not be mandatory in this week’s government-funding measure, counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway said Tuesday in an interview on Fox News that finding money for it “can happen later this year and into next year.” Asserting that the wall would help stop the flow not only of undocumented immigrants but also of drugs, Conway said its construction “remains a very important priority” for Trump.