[Daily Caller] President Donald Trump has freed up $8 billion from various government agencies to build the wall, according to Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.Trump announced earlier on Thursday that he plans on signing a bipartisan congressional bill that provides limited border wall funding and declaring a national emergency at the southern border.
"Of course today was dominated by many stories, one of which was the bipartisan budget bill for border security. And the big number is‐that the president was not happy with‐was $1.375 billion to build a border barrier. He could do whatever he wanted with it," Kilmeade began. "The question was, ’Would the president add something with that? Would he declare a national emergency?’ I just got off the phone with Mick Mulvaney, chief of staff, and the answer is a resounding ’Yes.’ Now for the first time, you will hear how much it is and where the money is coming from."
"It’s going to be about $8 billion. He had the $1.3 [billion], then $600 million will come from the Treasury, the Treasury forfeiture front. $2.5 billion out of [Department of Defense]. They consulted with Mick Mulvaney and the White House over the last few months on what they could actually do and they are going to use some money they feel they can spare on the drug interdiction account," he continued. "Then they came across with $3.5 billion for the military, the military construction budget." (RELATED: Trump Says DACA For Wall Deal ’Highly Unlikely’)
Kilmeade added, "They feel they can help in that respect. And then, of course, they have additional money. It all adds up to $8 billion. So the $1.375 [billion] not enough for the president. He wanted $5.7 [billion]. He walks away at the end of the day with $8 billion and, of course, the Democrats and some Republicans are upset about that."
The president’s decision to declare a national emergency for the wall was not unexpected. During the speech Trump gave late last month, where he announced he was going to end the government shutdown, he also explained that he would go down this route if Congress could not come up with a deal within a three-week period, which would have expired Friday.