President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to the White House briefing room Thursday to beg for a border wall that Democrats have said he will not get.

“We need protection in our country. We’re gonna make it good, people of our country want it,” Trump said Thursday, just hours after Democrats reclaimed the House and gave the speakership to Nancy Pelosi. “I have never had so much support as I have had in the last week over my stance over border security, border control, or frankly the wall or the barrier.”

“Without a wall you cannot have border security. It will not work”



Pres. Trump is speaking at the White House: https://t.co/QGarZ0i4qj pic.twitter.com/YpXCzAPDto — CBS News (@CBSNews) January 3, 2019

Trump has partially shut down the government over a lack of funding for his wall, and incoming House Democrats have said they will not meet his demands for the funding.

The president did not stay to respond to questions from reporters.