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The Latest: Trump calls for patriotism, national healing

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump (all times EDT):

10:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump called for patriotism and national healing as he praised veterans at an American Legion conference in Nevada Wednesday.

Trump called the veterans an "example of strength, courage and resolve that our country will need to overcome the many challenges that we face."

It was a stark contrast from his rally in Phoenix on Tuesday night. He opened his remarks there with talk of unity but then tore into the media and members of his own party.

The public push-and-pull in Trump's message mirrors the internal dynamics at the White House, New chief of staff John Kelly has organized and regimented the West Wing staff but has been unable to rein in the president's tendency to veer off course.

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6:50 p.m.

The White House isn't walking back President Donald Trump's threat of a government shutdown over his promised Southern border wall.

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tells reporters traveling aboard Air Force Once that Trump "has made no secret" that getting the wall built is a priority. She says he's "looking forward" to working with Congress to get it done.

Trump threatened a standoff on the issue during a rally Tuesday night, saying, "If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall."

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday he doesn't think a shutdown is "necessary."

The House has already passed a spending bill with funding for the wall. But the measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Democrats and moderates have greater sway.

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6 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will meet following the August congressional recess amid reports of a vicious feud between the Republican leaders.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the meeting had been previously scheduled and would bring together congressional leaders and members of the president's Cabinet.

She adds that Trump and McConnell "remain united on many shared priorities," including middle-class tax relief, strengthening the military and constructing a Southern border wall.

Trump has criticized McConnell for the Senate's failure to pass a health care overhaul and has suggested he might need to step aside.

People familiar with McConnell's thinking say he has privately expressed dismay over Trump's criticism of fellow Republicans and his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

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2:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump has signed into law a bill that would cut the amount of time the Department of Veterans Affairs takes to decide veterans' appeals of their disability payments.

Trump described the bill as "a big one" as he readied his pen at a signing ceremony at an American Legion event in Reno, Nevada.

The legislation will overhaul the process by allowing veterans to file "express" appeals if they waive their right to a hearing, or allow them to submit new evidence. Veterans currently could wait five years or more to resolve their disability appeals.

The department provides $63.7 billion in compensation annually to about 4.1 million veterans living with disabling conditions suffered during military service.

The changes would apply almost entirely to newly filed appeals, not the existing backlog.

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2:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is offering kind words to a Nevada senator who is up for re-election and with whom he has openly and repeatedly feuded.

Trump gave a shout-out to Republican Sen. Dean Heller as he kicked off a speech at the American Legion's national convention Wednesday.

Trump said: "Dean Heller is here. Someplace, or will shortly be here" and thanked the senator for attending.

The comments came a day after Trump criticized two other incumbents, Sen. John McCain and Jeff Flake of Arizona, during an angry rally in their state.

After Heller announced his opposition to an initial health overhaul bill in June, a group linked to Trump launched a hard-hitting ad campaign against him.

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2:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump is saluting the American Legion's commitment to service and urging the nation to follow its example.

Trump was speaking at the group's national convention in Nevada, and he noted the group's diversity. Trump said that those in uniform came from "different backgrounds" and "all different walks of life."

He said that the members are all "on one team" and that the citizens throughout the nation should try to emulate their behavior.

Trump's pitch for unity in Reno stands in stark contrast to his angry, divisive remarks the night before at a campaign rally in Phoenix. During that meandering speech, Trump attacked fellow Republicans and went on a lengthy diatribe against the news media.

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11 a.m.

President Donald Trump is set to speak at an American Legion convention and the White House says he plans to talk about seeking "a new unity."

The White House says the president - in his speech later Wednesday in Reno, Nevada - will say it's "time to heal the wounds that have divided us and to seek a new unity based on the common values that unite us."

Look for Trump to say: "We are one people, with one home, and one flag."

The Nevada appearance is coming after Trump's rally Tuesday night in Phoenix, when he lashed out at the media and criticized Arizona's two Republican senators.

Trump has pushed back against media coverage of his response to the violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia, protest organized by white supremacists.

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10 a.m.

President Donald Trump is naming Senate Republican names.

Trump on Wednesday morning tweeted that he loves "the Great State of Arizona." But he added that he was "not a fan of Jeff Flake, weak on crime & border!"

The president woke up in Arizona the day after a campaign rally in Phoenix.

He repeatedly lashed out at the media during the event and skewered both of Arizona's Republican senators, insisting that his coy refusal to mention their names Tuesday night showed a "very presidential" restraint.

But he went after Flake by name the next morning. Flake has been very critical of the president.

Trump has also criticized the state's senior senator, John McCain, for casting the deciding vote that doomed the Republican health care bill. McCain is battling brain cancer.

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3:15 a.m.

President Donald Trump is blaming the media for the condemnation of his response to violence at a Charlottesville, Virginia, protest organized by white supremacists.

He opened his political rally Tuesday in Phoenix Tuesday evening with calls for unity, and an assertion that "our movement is about love," but then quickly erupted in anger

Trump shouted he'd "openly called for healing unity and love" in the immediate aftermath of Charlottesville and had simply been misrepresented in news coverage.

The president acknowledged his advisers had urged him to stay on message, and that he simply could not. He left no doubt that he plans to pardon former sheriff Joe Arpaio (ahr-PY'-oh), convicted of disobeying court orders to stop his immigration patrols. He said he had chosen not to on Tuesday to avoid "controversy."

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Convention of the American Legion, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
United States Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. speaks at the 21st Annual Lake Tahoe Summit, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. The summit is a gathering of federal, state and local leaders to discuss the restoration and to sustain Lake Tahoe.(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) The Associated Press
President Donald Trump reacts before speaking at a rally at the Phoenix Convention Center, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2017, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
President Donald Trump struggles to hold a baby as he greets supporters as he arrives in Reno, Nev., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The Associated Press
President Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson step off Air Force One upon their arrival in Reno, Nev., Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)Donald Trump and The Associated Press
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