Refusing to back down on his border wall, Donald Trump says a partial shutdown may last for long time.

Even by his standards, President Donald Trump sent an unusual number of tweets out on Christmas Eve in the US.

The border wall, his unpopular decision to withdraw troops from Syria and why the Federal Reserve is like a powerful golfer who can't putt were all addressed in ten tweets sent within three hours on Monday morning.

Then, one tweet seemed to explain Trump's behaviour. The President is alone in the White House.

EVAN VUCCI/AP "I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security," US President Trump wrote.

"Poor me," he tweeted.

I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security. At some point the Democrats not wanting to make a deal will cost our Country more money than the Border Wall we are all talking about. Crazy! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

Members of Congress travelled home for Christmas over the weekend but Trump has stayed on in Washington as a partial government shutdown grinds on, brought on by an impasse between Democrats and Republicans over Trump's proposed border wall.

The Senate failed to pass a stopgap measure on Friday to keep many government departments, including national parks, postal services and government museums, funded until January.

The Wall is different than the 25 Billion Dollars in Border Security. The complete Wall will be built with the Shutdown money plus funds already in hand. The reporting has been inaccurate on the point. The problem is, without the Wall, much of the rest of Dollars are wasted! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

Last week, Trump softened his border wall demands, instead suggesting a metal fence, in order to get temporary funding measures passed. But, after hard-right commentators lambasted him for abandoning his long-promised wall, Trump reversed course and dug in.

He had planned to travel to his Mar-a-Lago resort on Friday but had to abort due to the shutdown. Instead, he stayed in Washington for negotiations while first lady Melania decamped to Florida.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney signalled that Trump is willing to accept less money than he's been demanding to build the US-Mexico border wall, but Democrats said they would still not agree to a wall.

Trump's lonely tweet, unsurprisingly, prompted a slew of jokes and references to Home Alone, a Christmas film that Trump once had a cameo in. Some people expressed concern over Trump's mental welfare at the happiest time of year, others were outraged that he appeared to be playing the victim while attacking a host of people in his tweet storm.

"I am all alone (poor me)" is his most honest phrase of all time. https://t.co/BKkJYO9klu — Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) December 24, 2018

Famous presidential quotes:



“Four score and seven years ago”

- Abraham Lincoln



“Ask not what your country can do”

- John F. Kennedy



“I am all alone (poor me)”

- Donald Trump — Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) December 24, 2018

So many Home Alone jokes pic.twitter.com/LgI7JLqrWV — Mac McClung Fan Account (@LPDonovan) December 24, 2018

(Poor me) should be the Trump re-elect slogan. — Tim Miller (@Timodc) December 24, 2018

Trump may be alone in more ways that one on Christmas Eve.

He is coming off one of his roughest weeks as President – instigating the government shutdown fight, provoking then fast-tracking his defence chief James Mattis' resignation, abruptly pulling US troops from Syria and Afghanistan, and even thinking about firing the head of the US central bank.

Even his closest Republican Party members and conservative media allies deserted him over his decisions on Mattis and Syria, and his suggestion of firing Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell.

The only problem our economy has is the Fed. They don’t have a feel for the Market, they don’t understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who can’t score because he has no touch - he can’t putt! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2018

Republican Congressman Dennis Ross of Florida said he and his GOP colleagues are growing increasingly anxious. "Whether it be defence or monetary policy, we want to see some stability," Ross told Bloomberg.

But, as Republican strategists and advisers close to the President told Bloomberg, he sees it as a winning hand that shows his supporters he is fulfilling election promises.

By digging in on his threat to shut down the government over his border wall, and by bringing troops home, Trump is sticking to his "America First" doctrine and feeding his 2020 re-election mantra of "promises made, promises kept".

By playing to his most dedicated supporters, he may just stay in the White House after the next election. Perhaps not so alone.