Trump Today: President says he’s willing to meet Iran’s leader without preconditions

This column provides a daily update on key presidential actions as well as comments, whether spoken aloud or on Twitter, by President Trump. Like the stock market, the deadline for Trump Today action is 4 p.m. Eastern time, even as we acknowledge that substantive news can and does occur after hours.

President Donald Trump said Monday he’s willing to meet Iran’s president without preconditions, as he reiterated a threat to shut down the government over funding border security including his proposed wall.

‘NO PRECONDITIONS’

Appearing with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at the White House, Trump answered a reporter’s question about a possible meeting with Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani. “If they want to meet, I’ll meet,” Trump said. He said there’d be no preconditions for such a meeting, if Iran is ready.

On July 22, Trump tweeted an all-caps warning to Iran never to threaten the U.S. Trump declared in May that he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal, a 2015 accord reached by seven countries that restricted Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Trump and Conte announced that the U.S. and Italy would work to cooperate further on joint security efforts in the Mediterranean.

Getty Images

IMMIGRATION NEGOTIATION

Trump again said he’s willing to have a government shutdown in the fall if he doesn’t get funding for border security.

But he said “I always leave room for negotiation,” and that $25 billion for the wall was not a “red line.” Trump tweeted a list of demands including getting rid of so-called chain migration and sanctuary cities “and, of course, keep building, but much faster, THE WALL!”

Government funding expires Sept. 30. Some congressional Republicans have said they don’t believe a shutdown would be helpful.

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