House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Saturday that if President Barack Obama could send money to Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal, President Trump should be able to find money to build the wall along the southern border without being blocked by the courts.

“Listen, if President Obama can send $1.8 billion to the Iranians — I can tell you I didn’t appropriate that — certainly finding a few billion dollars for border security on our southern border is something that this president can do legally and without a challenge,” Meadows told Fox News in an interview.

Trump announced Friday that a deal to temporarily end the partial government shutdown, which then was in its 35th day, had been reached. The agreement included no money for a wall along the southern border, as the president has demanded, but reopened shuttered agencies through Feb. 15.

Republicans and Democrats have until then to negotiate a broader immigration deal, in which Trump wants to include wall funding.

The president said that if a deal cannot be reached, he would declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress and build the wall.

The House and Senate passed the short-term bill Friday, and Trump signed it that night.

Meadows, however, conceded that discussions between Republicans and Democrats will not be a cakewalk.

“You can’t look at this situation and believe that it will be easy,” he said of the forthcoming negotiations. “Obviously, the shutdown of the last 35 days would indicate that, but I do believe that high-ranking Democrats, not just those swing state, new freshman, but high-ranking Democrats, are willing to look at strategic fencing and border barriers as part of it.”

Trump, too, acknowledged earlier Saturday on Twitter that the next three weeks will likely be a challenge for both parties.

“21 days goes very quickly. Negotiations with Democrats will start immediately. Will not be easy to make a deal, both parties very dug in. The case for National Security has been greatly enhanced by what has been happening at the Border & through dialogue. We will build the Wall!” he tweeted.

