Uncle!

But what does Trump say?

"I am very proud to announce today that we have reached a deal to end the shutdown and re-open the federal government," Trump said.

  The Hill

And his base won't notice that it's completely the opposite of what he's been promising them for over a month. Ann Coulter will. But apparently, not even Ann can compete with today's news.

The president said he would sign a bill that would open the government for three weeks. In that period, he said, a bipartisan committee of House and Senate lawmakers will meet to develop a funding proposal for Homeland Security.

But not the wall.

He expressed optimism that the resulting pitch would include funds for his long-promised border wall, which he maintained "should not be controversial."

“After 36 days of spirited debate and dialogue, I have seen and heard from enough Democrats and Republicans that they are willing to put partisanship aside, I think, and put the security of the American people first,” Trump said in remarks delivered from the Rose Garden.

LOL. The only Democrat who caved was Joe Manchin, and he's not really a Democrat. At least six Republican Senators went over to the Democrat side.

Trump said federal workers will receive backpay “as soon as possible” as part of the deal, which he has asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring the measure up for a vote "immediately."

You know what really happened. Undoubtedly, McConnell told him he was going to bring this to a vote and force him to veto and then be overridden.

The urgency to reopen the government seemed to be heightened among some lawmakers on Friday after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily halted flights into and out of LaGuardia Airport in New York City, citing staffing shortages because of the shutdown.

[...]

The announcement comes after days of Trump insisting that Republican lawmakers were united in the push to secure wall funding, and that he would not cave on the issue.

[...]

"As everyone knows, I have a very powerful alternative, but I didn’t want to use it at this time," Trump said. "Hopefully it will be unnecessary."

Can we get the news off Roger Stone now?

You caved. Everyone knows it. No matter what Hannity and Carlson are going to say.



Nobody believes him at this point.

Somebody's throwing a party for Nancy Pelosi tonight.  She blocked the SOTU, and she blocked the wall.  She owns him.

Daniel Dale parses the speech that I refuse to listen to:

Trump immediately ad-libs a second sentence: "As everyone knows, I have a very powerful alternative. But I didn't want to use it at this time. Hopefully it will be unnecessary."

Trump to federal workers: “Not only did you not complain, but in many cases you encouraged me to keep going” because you care so much about border security. (Lots of them complained...)

Trump says it's a three-week deal. He says he's heard Dems and Republicans are willing to put partisanship aside - "I think." He claims Dems have "finally and fully acknowledged" that barriers and walls will be "an important part of the solution."

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Trump says he trusts the parties will use this reprieve to work in good faith on behalf of "our whole, beautiful, wonderful, nation." I don't think all of those adjectives were in the text.

Trump is now re-touting the value of border walls, saying they "should not be controversial." He explains that these barriers would be made of STEEL and would be see-through, which, as usual, he says is very important. "We do not need 2,000 miles of concrete walls."

I think he can kiss re-election goodbye.  It will be interesting to see how long the RNC continues to support that.

Trump is telling his "four women" "duct tape" "backs or cars or trucks" "desert areas" human trafficking tale again. Again, human trafficking experts tells me they've never heard of this happening; just isn't how it usually works.

He just likes to say it.  Turns him on.

Trump's speech referred to "homicides." He said the word, then added, "Or, as you would call them, violent, vicious killings."

This has turned into a regular Trump immigration speech, filled with talk of murder and disease and duct tape. He hasn't attempted to offer an extended explanation for why he rejected this kind of deal for weeks and is now accepting it.

Perhaps because it's painfully obvious.

Trump: "We have the lowest employment and the best employment numbers than we've ever had." Sometimes his "and" method of correcting himself does not work.

The threat: "Really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier. If we don't get a fair deal from Congress, the govt will either shut down on Feb. 15, again, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the Constitution...to address this emergency."

Yeah, yeah.  Not much of an emergency if you can wait till February 15.



Well, he can't.  But people can read them to him.



But now he can give his State of the Union speech in the House.  I wonder how full the chamber will be, knowing it's going to be this same speech, but drawn out longer.







That's gonna hurt.



That, too.

That, too.

The government will reopen for three weeks. There will be no money forthcoming for the big, beautiful, stupid wall. Talks on border security will continue. In an act of mercy, the One Great Scorer will not award Pelosi Trump's ears and tail.

[...]

[M]aybe this paltry Band-Aid of a solution is worth it just to watch the president* once again get beaten like a tin drum by Nancy Pelosi.

  Charles P Pierce