Trump delays speech until shutdown ends

White House reportedly preparing for even longer stalemate with Democrats

US President Donald Trump backed down on Wednesday in a spat with Democrats over his State of the Union address, agreeing to delay it until a more than monthlong government shutdown ends.

Meanwhile, the US Senate prepared on Thursday to hold two showdown votes on measures to reopen shuttered federal agencies. However, Trump's sparring with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi essentially assured that no solution was at hand.