Despite a conservative backlash that has seen him called a “wimp” and a “broken man”, Donald Trump is continuing to insist he did not “cave” to the Democrats by ending the government shutdown without funding for his border wall.

After ending the shutdown, Mr Trump tweeted that “this was in no way a concession”, signalling that if he didn’t get a deal from Congress by February 15, he could shut the government down again or declare a national emergency to re-route federal money to fund the wall.

Mr Trump now appears to have doubled down on this argument with a series of tweets re-affirming his belief that a wall is needed, and he will get it. On Saturday evening he insisted: “Only fools, or people with a political agenda, don’t want a Wall or Steel Barrier to protect our Country from Crime, Drugs and Human Trafficking. It will happen – it always does!”

The damage to some of his base support, however, appears to have already been done. On Sunday morning, the top two trending topics on Breitbart, once run by Trump’s former strategist Steve Bannon, were “[Democratic Speaker Nancy] Pelosi Trumps Trump” and “Govt open – Border too”.

The website carried extensive coverage of how Trump’s political opponents had mocked him for being “dog walked” by Pelosi and demonstrating “the Art of the Cave”.

It comes after commentator Mike Cernovich, who has a large pro-Trump following, said that the president was now “a broken man”.

The influential conservative commentator Ann Coulter reacted to Mr Trump ending the shutdown by insultingly invoking the memory of recently deceased former US president George HW Bush and writing: “Good news for George Herbert Walker Bush: As of today, he is no longer the biggest wimp ever to serve as President of the United States.”

Ms Coulter has previously said that Mr Trump would be “dead in the water” if he did not get his wall, saying if he couldn’t build it, “Trump will just have been a joke presidency who scammed the American people, amused the populists for a while, but he’ll have no legacy whatsoever”.

In another indication that the president’s base support might be wavering, conservative leader Mark Meckler, who helped found the Tea Party movement, accused Mr Trump of having “brought his troops on the battlefield and then walked away”.

Mr Meckler called the president’s decision to sign off on a deal without wall funding “pathetic and disgusting.”

Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures The US Capitol on the first morning of a partial government shutdown in Washington EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures President Trump speaks with children who called the North American Aerospace Defense Command Santa tracker in the State Dining Room of the White House. He earlier in the day, tweeted that he was 'all alone in the White House' waiting for Democrats to make a deal on border security EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Furloughed federal workers pick up free food at a pop-up store of Kraft Heinz Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Hundreds of federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures A pedestrian walk past the U.S. Capitol ahead of a possible partial government shut down in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts JOSHUA ROBERTS Reuters Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures From left, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Dick Durbin and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi walk to speak to reporters after meeting with President Donald Trump about border security in the Situation Room of the White House. Trump declared he could keep parts of the government shut down for "months or even years" as he and Democratic leaders failed in a second closed-door meeting to resolve his demand for billions of dollars for a border wall with Mexico Evan Vucci AP Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures A sign alerts visitors to the closure of the National Archives on the fifth day of a partial government shutdown EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Hundreds of federal workers and contractors rally against the partial federal government shutdown Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Visitors read signs announcing the closure of the White House Visitor Center EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures President Donald Trump speaks during a round-table discussion on border security and safe communities with State, local, and community leaders in the Cabinet Room of the White House Getty Images Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures A sign alerts visitors to the closure of the White House Visitor Center on the first day of a partial government shutdown EPA Trump shuts down US government over Mexico border wall – in pictures Furloughed federal workers show their IDs for entering a pop-up store of Kraft Heinz Getty Images

He said that during the shutdown he and other conservative leaders had been aggressively defending the president’s hardline approach. At the request of the White House, he said they made repeated media appearances, but they got no warning he was about to “surrender.”

“No way would I go on the radio anytime again in the future and say ‘The president’ and ‘I believe,”’ Meckler said. “Certainly, he did not fulfill his promise to the base and I’m appalled. More importantly than me is what I’m hearing from the grassroots. They’re appalled.”

“He brought his troops on the battlefield with an absolute promise. And then he walked away.”

Not all the president’s supporters were critical of him, however.

Charlie Kirk, the founder of the right wing organisation Turning Point USA urged his twitter followers: “Don’t waver in your support of Donald Trump.