'The situation is extreme. Fix it': Shanahan, McAleenan reveal Trump's command on border crisis
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told "Fox & Friends" Tuesday that President Trump demanded "better results" at the southern border during a recent meeting to discuss the ongoing migration crisis.
“‘Deliver more. The situation is extreme. Fix it,’” Shanahan said Trump told his top cops, adding: "That's why we're here. We understand that there's never been a lack of commitment to fixing it. It's just with these trends and the increases, it's getting worse.”
McAleenan agreed with Shanahan, comparing the current situation at the border to the situation five years ago under the Obama administration.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"This crisis is much bigger than what we faced back then, and we need Congress' help," McAleenan said.
Shanahan and McAleenan visited the border in Texas over the weekend. During the visit, Shanahan said that he intended to accelerate planning to secure the border and bolster the administration’s ability to accomplish that without the Pentagon’s continuous help.
He also offered assurances the Pentagon would not withdraw its military support prematurely.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
On Friday, a defense official confirmed to Fox News that the Defense Department had approved a plan to spend an additional $1.5 billion to build 80 more miles of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Shanahan approved the reallocation of funds, which were originally earmarked for support of Afghan security forces and other projects, to help pay for the wall along the southern border.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
“It's not out in the desert, it's where it stops the flow of drugs, stops the flow of illicit activity, and we're moving outward,” he noted. “We're doing things in months that used to take years, and I feel really good about the progress.”