Top Dem Breaks With Leadership: ‘I Would Not Rule Out a Wall In Certain Instances’

During his interview on Sunday, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, said he is not willing to rule out the possibility of having more walls in certain places on the U.S-Mexico border.

When pressed by ABC’s Martha Raddatz about his preference to using technology on the border instead having a wall, as advocated by President Donald Trump, Thompson said he would not rule out the border wall with the negotiations to reopen the federal government.

“I’m saying that we will sit with the chief, the president, and whomever, and we will work through it,” he said.

“So you wouldn’t rule out a wall,” Raddatz pressed.

“I will not rule out a wall in certain instances,” Thompson replied. “Now the notion that we can’t have barriers is just something that’s just not true, but again Martha, you have to have a plan and the plan that the president initially started with is not where he is now, and so we don’t know where he will be tomorrow.”

Thompson’s stance breaks from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who say no money will go towards the wall in a spending bill to refund the government. But he is not alone in the party. Freshman Rep. Katie Hill (D-CA) told CNN’s Poppy Harlow said she would vote for some wall funding.

“I just want a really straight answer here: will you vote for any money for a steel barrier,” Harlow asked.

“I mean, I will definitely, I don’t know if it’s steel, I will vote for some money for physical barriers,” Hill replied.

Watch above, via ABC News