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

(Image credit: Amilcar Orfali/Getty Images)

published 3 December 2018

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."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

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.

Explore More

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.