Donald Trump insists he has ‘absolute right’ to use emergency powers over wall

Donald Trump has threatened to "declare a national emergency" and use emergency powers in order get funding for a border wall as the impasse between Democrats and the US president continued for a third week. 

The president has insisted he has the "absolute right" to force the proposal through as a deal to reopen government failed to materialise as the shutdown continued. 

Trump reiterated on Thursday that the budget would not be acceptable until it included the more than $5bn in funding for a wall. 

Despite the potential fallout from resorting to the use of emergency powers, Trump insisted that lawyers had advised him it was his right to do so. 

“I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency," he said. "The lawyers have so advised me. I'm not prepared to do that yet. But if I have to, I will.”

Trump took to social media to declare how he had been forced to cancel an important meeting to Davos, Switzerland later this month due to the ongoing feud over federal funding. 

“Because of the Democrats intransigence on Border Security and the great importance of Safety for our Nation, I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum,” Mr Trump wrote.

As the government shutdown rolls into next week, it will become the longest-ever shutdown in American history.