Donald Trump insists Mexico border wall will be built
The US President denies he’s changed his mind about his campaign pledge - and who will pay for it
Donald Trump has contradicted his own chief-of-staff over claims he is rowing back on a campaign pledge to build a wall along America’s southern border and get Mexico to pay for it.
White House Chief of Staff General John Kelly told Fox News the President’s views on immigration and a border wall had “very definitely changed” after Trump had been briefed on the subjects.
“He has evolved in the way he’s looked at things,” Kelly said. “Campaign to governing are two different things and this president has been very, very flexible in terms of what is within the realms of the possible.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Asked whether Mexico would pay for the wall, Kelly suggested the payment would be indirect.
“We have some ideas on how things like visa fees, renegotiation on Nafta, on what that would mean to our economy. So in one way or another, it's possible that we could get the revenue from Mexico but not directly from their government,” he said.
CNN says Trump was left “fuming” by the interview and immediately hit back with a series of tweets defending his campaign promise.
Sources also told CNN that Kelly told Democratic lawmakers some of Trump’s positions on the border wall were “uninformed”.
“The mixed messages over where the President stands could complicate the immigration debate raging in Congress as Washington tries to avoid a government shutdown on Friday,” says Vice News.
The central issue is the status of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), an Obama-era immigration program that offered temporary protection to undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children. Also known as Dreamers, they are estimated to number around 800,000.
Trump ended legal protection for Dreamers last year, giving Congress until March to create a replacement programme. Last week, he rejected a compromise by three Democratic and three Republican senators to restore protection in return for allocating money for the wall and other security measures.
Now Democrats, at least some of whom Trump needs to avoid a federal shutdown, have signalled they will not vote for a new government spending bill without some version of DACA.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
What might a Trump victory mean for the global economy?
Today's Big Question A second term in office for the 'America First' administration would send shockwaves far beyond the United States' shores
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Women take center stage in campaign finale
Speed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How GOP election denial thrives in 2024
In the Spotlight Cleta Mitchell aided Donald Trump's efforts in 2020. She's back.
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Life in the post-truth era
Opinion The mainstream media can't hold back a tsunami of misinformation
By Theunis Bates Published
-
'Shale is crucial to the US economy'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published