No wall for you
“President” Donald Trump continues to sit in the White House, all alone and lonely. He continues to tweet nonsense about the border wall and what it is he wants or demands, even as his outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly admits there is no effort to build an actual wall.
On Monday morning, Trump tweeted: “I’m in the Oval Office. Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for Border Security, including the Wall. You voted yes in 2006 and 2013. One more yes, but with me in office, I’ll get it built, and Fast!” There is no Marine at the White House today, so not likely true.
In the meantime, Senator Lindsey “Kompromat by the Kilogram” Graham made a bold statement that “there will never be a deal without wall funding,” despite the fact that he and every other Senator just before the shutdown unanimously voted a deal to keep the government open, one that Trump lied about being willing to sign.
What this amounts to is that despite Sean Hannity stating at rallies, “Promises Made, Promises Kept,” Trump has not fulfilled many promises, and he conceded the point in another tweet today about his campaign promises: “I campaigned on Border Security, which you cannot have without a strong and powerful Wall. Our Southern Border has long been an ‘Open Wound,’ where drugs, criminals (including human traffickers) and illegals would pour into our Country. Dems should get back here an fix now!” That’s right, he misspelled “and.”
He topped it all off with this tweet: “It’s incredible how Democrats can all use their ridiculous sound bite and say that a Wall doesn’t work. It does, and properly built, almost 100%! They say it’s old technology – but so is the wheel. They now say it is immoral- but it is far more immoral for people to be dying!”
Finally, Trump had a deal. The Democrats offered $25 billion in early 2018 to fund the wall in exchange for legal protections for Dreamers. Trump and Stephen Miller derailed the agreement. Trump’s reference to 2006 is apparently the Secure Fence Act of 2006, authorizing 700 miles of fencing. Trump called that fence a “nothing wall.” In 2013, it appears to have been a similar fencing proposal of nearly 700 miles. Again, Trump, the wall is not coming, and you can cross your arms and pout all you want.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.