Transcript for Trump faces criticism from his own party on declaring a national emergency

Ian, thank you Politics here at home. President trump spotting on the links with golf greats jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. New reporting tonight that senate majority leader Mitch Mcconnell is cautioning the president against using his emergency powers to by pass congress and build that wall. ABC's white house correspondent Tara Palmeri reporting from west palm beach tonight. Reporter: President trump on the golf course in Florida today, side by side with Tiger Woods and jack Nicklaus. His first trip to mar-a-lago since before the shutdown. But with just 14 days until the short-term funding bill runs out, the battle over the border continues, as trump faces growing opposition from within his own party against declaring a national emergency to build a border wall. Actually having a national emergency does help the process. I think there's a good chance that we'll have to do that. Reporter: A white house official telling ABC news the president is aware that senate majority leader Mitch Mcconnell is against using emergency powers to bypass congress. I'm for whatever works, which means avoiding a shutdown and avoiding the president feeling he should declare a national emergency. Reporter: "The Washington post" reporting that Mcconnell told trump in a private meeting that congress might pass a resolution against declaring a national emergency, and that could force the president to use his veto power for the first time, driving a wedge between the president and his party. I think that this would be viewed as an expansion of executive authority that, we just don't want to go down this that road. Reporter: A bipartisan group of lawmakers is now working to meet trump's demands for funding a wall along the southern border, the president's not optimistic. We'll be looking at a national emergency. I think the Democrats don't want border security. Tara joins us live. Tara, there's been no real progress in those capitol hill negotiations on border security? Reporter: Tom, that's right. There's been no tangible progress. The group of lawmakers in that conference are heading to the border tomorrow to see the situation for themselves. But the two main players in this, house speaker Nancy Pelosi and president Donald Trump still won't budge. Tom. Tara, thank you.

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