Sen. John Kennedy and Sen. Cory Booker sit on opposite sides of the dais, but that hasn't stopped Mr. Kennedy, Louisiana Republican, from admiring his New Jersey Democratic colleague.

President Trump has asked a judge to remove his blockade and allow the full shutdown and renovation of the Kennedy Center, saying he's fixed the problems that led to the court issuing an injunction earlier this year.

The Trump administration has started building the border wall through a west Texas section of the Big Bend region, marking the first major construction in an area of the U.S.-Mexico border where the administration's plans have met heavy opposition.