‘Even Your Own Supporters Won’t Believe This’
President Donald Trump followed his Tuesday morning meltdown with Wednesday morning lies and what sounded like a nod to civil war.
Despite the fact that a strong majority of Americans do not want a border wall, Trump is pushing for it – as he continues to rest his entire presidency on completing it.
“In our Country, so much money has been poured down the drain, for so many years, but when it comes to Border Security and the Military, the Democrats fight to the death,” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
Of course, Trump’s claim that the Democrats “fight to the death” is hyperbole – but in his mind, is it?
“We won on the Military, which is being completely rebuilt. One way or the other, we will win on the Wall!”
(Note the “one way or another” claim – it’s how he will ultimately claim victory.)
Then comes this staggering lie – and highly improbable claim.
“Mexico is paying (indirectly) for the Wall through the new USMCA, the replacement for NAFTA!”
That is a lie, and an embarrassing one that Sarah Huckabee Sanders pushed Tuesday at her first press conference in weeks. Despite a reporter’s valiant attempts to explain where federal funds come from, and that trade agreement benefits go into consumers’ pockets, she refused to accept the facts.
“Far more money coming to the U.S.,” Trump continued.
“Because of the tremendous dangers at the Border, including large scale criminal and drug inflow, the United States Military will build the Wall!”
There is little chance of that happening.
While U.S. service members deployed to the border last month repaired sections of the wall and strung barbed wire, that was more akin to busy work to justify their presence there – which was part of Trump’s November election tactics.
The Army Corps of Engineers has built dams, flood protection barriers, and constructed other public works in the U.S. and around the world, but building a border wall is not within their mandate.
It’s unclear if Trump has constitutional authority to force the U.S. Military to build the wall.
Using U.S. Armed Forces to build Trump’s wall would draw strong criticism from Democrats, who in the House could defund the project.
Here’s how some responded: