President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE said Saturday that he will have lunch at the White House with a "large group" to discuss border security as Congress attempts to negotiate a funding bill to end a partial government shutdown.

Will be having lunch in White House residence with large group concerning Border Security. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

The White House later released a list of the lunch's attendees, which included Vice President Pence, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyOn The Money: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump's payroll tax deferral won't hurt Social Security Blockchain trade group names Mick Mulvaney to board Mick Mulvaney to start hedge fund MORE, the president's son-in-law and adviser, Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE, and fellow aide Shahira Knight. Trump also hosted Republican Sens. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeMcConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE (Utah), Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (S.C.) and Richard Shelby Richard Craig ShelbySenate GOP eyes early exit Dems discussing government funding bill into February GOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick MORE (Ala.), as well as GOP Reps. Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November House moves toward spending vote after bipartisan talks House Democrats mull delay on spending bill vote MORE (N.C.), Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanHouse panel pulls Powell into partisan battles over pandemic Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus MORE (Ohio), Matt Gaetz Matthew (Matt) GaetzFlorida attorney general scrutinizing Bloomberg paying fines for felons to vote Lara Trump campaigns with far-right activist candidate Laura Loomer in Florida House to vote on removing cannabis from list of controlled substances MORE (Fla.) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.), according to the White House.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellFEC flags McConnell campaign over suspected accounting errors Poll: 59 percent think president elected in November should name next Supreme Court justice Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' MORE (R-Ky.) on Saturday suggested it would be up to Senate Democrats and Trump to reach an understanding to reopen the government.

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Parts of the government shut down at the end of the day on Friday after the House and Senate were unable to come to an agreement on funding. The main source of disagreement was Trump's demand for $5 billion for his proposed wall along the southern border.

The Senate passed a stopgap measure earlier in the week that included $1.6 billion for border security.

The House then passed a measure that contained $5.7 billion for the wall, a bill that was stonewalled in the Senate.

The White House early in the week had signaled it would accept a funding bill to keep the government open that contained less than Trump's desired $5 billion in wall funding, but the president reversed course late in the week amid criticism from his staunchest conservative supporters.

Friday's shutdown, which affects about 25 percent of the federal government, is the third shutdown in the past year.

Trump pushed back on Saturday against criticism related to the shutdown and his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.

He justified the latter decision by arguing that the U.S. has already been engaged in the Middle Eastern country's civil war longer than planned. He further declared the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is "largely defeated," and that other countries "should be able to easily take care of whatever remains."

I am in the White House, working hard. News reports concerning the Shutdown and Syria are mostly FAKE. We are negotiating with the Democrats on desperately needed Border Security (Gangs, Drugs, Human Trafficking & more) but it could be a long stay. On Syria, we were originally... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

....going to be there for three months, and that was seven years ago - we never left. When I became President, ISIS was going wild. Now ISIS is largely defeated and other local countries, including Turkey, should be able to easily take care of whatever remains. We’re coming home! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 22, 2018

The president's latest remarks were less forceful than his initial announcement, in which he declared the U.S. had "won" and that the terrorist group was "defeated."

Trump's abrupt announcement on Wednesday that he would begin bringing U.S. forces home from Syria was met with overwhelming criticism from lawmakers in both major parties, including some of his most loyal congressional allies.

The move has also led to a pair of high-profile resignations. Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE reportedly delivered his resignation to Trump after he was unable to change the president's mind on his Syria strategy.

Moments before Trump's Saturday morning tweets, CBS News reported that Brett McGurk, the special envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, plans to resign sooner than previously planned in light of the president's decision.

— Updated 1:28 p.m.