Millions of Americans may have believed Donald Trump’s campaign promise to build a wall along the southern border of the United States and have Mexico pay for it, but they have been scammed! There will never be a wall, or at least what was described by Trump, and in any event Mexico will never assume the cost.
The first hint that Trump is backing away from his wall plan came in an announcement that he will not been asking for construction funds in the upcoming federal budget. Instead, he may seek funding for other security measures, including additional border personnel. Trump also indicated that he may delay his funding request for construction of the wall until later in the year.
Although the wall plan was a major part of Trump’s presidential campaign, there are many political and practical realities that have created a wall of their own. Although support for the wall remains high among members of Trump’s relatively small base, the plan is opposed by some 60 percent of Americans in general. Furthermore, the wall has no support among the members of the U.S. Congress who represent the states that border Mexico, where it would stand, with opponents comprised of both Democrats and Republicans.
The practical issues casting doubt on the wall include its tremendous cost, which according to one estimate could be $40 billion. Much of the land on which it would be built is private property, thus requiring the implementation of eminent domain procedures. Other portions of the wall would have to be constructed on inhospitable terrain, requiring the construction of roads and additional facilities.
Trump may have given his supporters the impression that there are simple answers to complex issues, including immigration. In time, however, they may come to realize that the wall plan probably had more to do with Trump’s craving for attention than his vision for the future.