President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE on Tuesday dug in on his demand for a border wall as the government shutdown stretched into its fourth day.

Speaking to reporters after calling troops on Christmas Day, Trump said lawmakers must approve wall funding or else the shutdown will continue.

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“I can't tell you when the government is going to be open,” he said. “I can tell you, it's not going to be open until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. I'll call it whatever they want.”

Trump argued that thousands of workers being furloughed due to the shutdown also want the wall.



“Many of those workers have said to me, communicated, stay out until you get the funding for the wall. These federal workers want the wall,” the president said.

The comments suggest the funding impasse is unlikely to be resolved quickly when Congress comes back into sessions after Christmas.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish MORE (D-N.Y.) said Saturday that Trump “must abandon the wall, plain and simple” for the government to reopen.

The shutdown has fueled the year-end chaos that appears to be enveloping Trump's presidency, along with plummeting stock markets, intraparty warfare over the ouster of 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 and troop withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan and the Russia investigation.

Trump on Tuesday blasted Democrats as hypocrites, saying their opposition to a border wall is like their criticism of his decision to fire James Comey James Brien ComeySteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Judge will not dismiss McCabe's case against DOJ Democrats fear Russia interference could spoil bid to retake Senate MORE after they hammered the FBI director over his handling of the investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonFox News poll: Biden ahead of Trump in Nevada, Pennsylvania and Ohio Trump, Biden court Black business owners in final election sprint The power of incumbency: How Trump is using the Oval Office to win reelection MORE's email.

“Everybody hated Comey. They thought he did a horrible job. The Democrats hated him, they were calling for his resignation, they were calling for his resignation ... until I fired him,” Trump said.

“It's a disgrace what's happening in our country. But other than that, I wish everybody a very Merry Christmas,” he concluded.

Updated at 10:30 a.m.