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White House: Trump would accept less money for border wall

The setting sun illuminates clouds behind the White House during a partial federal shutdown, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Washington. The partial federal shutdown was expected to drag into Christmas as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders remained stuck in a standoff over his border wall with Mexico. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The setting sun illuminates clouds behind the White House during a partial federal shutdown, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Washington. The partial federal shutdown was expected to drag into Christmas as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders remained stuck in a standoff over his border wall with Mexico. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The setting sun illuminates clouds behind the White House during a partial federal shutdown, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2018, in Washington. The partial federal shutdown was expected to drag into Christmas as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders remained stuck in a standoff over his border wall with Mexico. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Associated Press 5 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Both sides in the long-running fight over funding President Donald Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall appear to have moved toward each other, but a shutdown of one-fourth of the federal government entered Christmas without a clear resolution in sight.

In fact, a top White House official warned the shutdown could stretch into January.

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who is also the budget director, said he was waiting to hear from Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York about a counteroffer the White House presented Schumer over the weekend.

Mulvaney would only say the offer was between Trump’s $5.7 billion request and $1.3 billion Democrats have offered.

“We moved off of the five and we hope they move up from their 1.3,” Mulvaney said less than a day after a senior administration official insisted that Congress would have to cave into Trump’s demand for the shutdown to end, highlighting Trump’s unpredictable negotiating style.