US President Donald Trump threatening government shutdown over Mexico wall funding

US President Donald Trump uses an umbrella after stepping out of Air Force One. (AFP file photo)

Faced with bipartisan opposition in the US Congress against his proposed wall on the border with Mexico, President Donald Trump has once again raised the specter of a government shutdown in case he doesn’t get the required funding.

Trump told a rally in Phoenix last week that “if we have to close down the government, we’re building that wall,” signaling his will to take on a large group of Democratic and Republican lawmakers who stood firmly against the idea.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Trump refused to withdraw the threat after being pressed to explain the reasoning behind it.

"I hope that's not necessary. If it's necessary, we'll have to see," Trump said of a possible government shutdown. "The wall is needed from the standpoint of security."

Standing next to visiting Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Trump also told reporters that the wall was going to be made and Mexico was going to pay for it “one way or the other.”

The Mexican Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday that the country will not “under any circumstances” reimburse the US for the project.

The statement was a response to an earlier tweet by Trump, where he wrote, “With Mexico being one of the highest crime Nations in the world, we must have THE WALL. Mexico will pay for it through reimbursement/other.”

Head to head with Republicans, Democrats

As the first step to deliver on one of his most divisive campaign pledges, Trump signed a directive to begin the construction of the wall less than a week after taking office.

However, the businessman-turned-politician was forced to put his plans on hold in early May, after the Republican-controlled Congress refused to include the $1.5 billion he had requested to start the project in a more than one-trillion-dollar budget deal struck to avert a government shutdown until September.

Today, as the current spending extension bill nears its end, it remains unclear if Trump and Congress can once again agree on a measure that doesn’t cover the 1,954-mile wall's expenses.

The House of Representatives is expected to consider the new government spending package next week, when it returns from the August recess.

Democrats, including both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, believe the measure is unnecessary and can take the back in seat in government funding for now.

Republicans have also been hesitant to commit to the idea, despite saying that they would ultimately help Trump get the money he needs.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who once produced a web video promoting the wall, said earlier this month that a shutdown was not necessary.

"I don't think a government shutdown is necessary and I don't think most people want to see a government shutdown, ourselves included," he noted.

In 2013, a government shutdown sent almost 2 million federal workers home and led to massive economic disruptions. It also forced national parks to close and caused a delay in payments to millions of people working for the government.