Trump says spending $5 billion on a border wall 'would save billions of dollars'


President Trump is desperately looking for someone to foot his border wall bill.
In a Monday morning tweet, Trump reiterated his newest wall-related messaging, saying America "would save billions of dollars if the Democrats would give us the votes to build" a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. He also suggested that, if it doesn't work out, America "will close the southern border" to keep people from "illegally" entering the country.
Funding for many government programs is set to expire at midnight Friday, and Trump has resisted signing a new spending bill unless Democrats agree to put border wall funding in it. Compromising Democrats agreed to put $1 billion toward the broader goal of border security in this year's spending bill. But Trump still wants $5 billion explicitly for the wall, which seems like the opposite of "sav[ing] billions of dollars."
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.
Until just a few months ago, it was Mexico who was going to pay for the wall, according to Trump's oft-repeated assumption. Mexico's former president has made it very clear that wouldn't be happening.
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
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Hamas frees US hostage in deal sidelining Israel
speed read Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old soldier, was the final living US citizen held by the militant group
-
White Afrikaners land in US as Trump-declared refugees
speed read An exception was made to Trump's near-total ban on admitting refugees for the white South Africans
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members