Trump ready for US shutdown to last 'for years'

US President Donald Trump has said he is prepared for a partial shutdown of the US government - now entering its third week - to last years.

After meeting top Democrats at the White House, the Republican president stood by his demand for congressional funding of a US-Mexico border wall.

Mr Trump said he would not sign any budget bill without such funding, but Democrats are adamantly against.

Around 800,000 federal workers have been without pay since 22 December.

Mr Trump initially gave a positive account of the meeting, describing it as "very productive".

"We're all on the same path in terms of wanting to get government open," he said at the White House.

But then he acknowledged in response to a journalist's question that he had threatened to keep federal agencies closed for years if necessary.

"I did say that, absolutely I said that," said Mr Trump in the White House Rose Garden. "I don't think it will but I am prepared."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer met Mr Trump earlier on Friday.

Afterwards, Senator Schumer told reporters: "We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted.

"In fact he said he'd keep the government closed for a very long period of time. Months or even years."

The White House and top Democrats also held a meeting earlier this week over the shutdown.

Democrats, who now hold the majority in the House, passed spending bills on Thursday to reopen the government, including $1.3bn (£1bn) of border security funds until 8 February.