Trump to meet lawmakers, weighing options on shutdown as deadline looms

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump sits for an exclusive interview with Reuters journalists in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. December 11, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will meet a group of Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday to discuss ways to get him funding to build a border wall while avoiding a government shutdown, the White House said.

The meeting is scheduled for noon EST.

“The president is having a meeting with Republican House Members at noon today. At this moment, the president does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The president is continuing to weigh his options," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

(Reporting By Steve Holland)