Trump denies he wanted a border wall moat — but not that he suggested shooting migrants' legs

President Trump is selectively firing back against The New York Times.

A Tuesday Times report detailed how Trump has privately made some outlandish border wall requests, namely suggesting a moat around the wall and that border patrol agents should shoot migrants in the legs to slow them down. Both the White House and Trump have since disputed the report — but notably didn't deny some of its most outrageous findings.

White House aides told the Times that Trump "often talked about fortifying a border wall with a water-filled trench, stocked with snakes or alligators," and wanted it "electrified, with spikes on top that could pierce human flesh." And after publicly saying border patrol agents could fire back at migrants who threw rocks at them, he reportedly later "suggested they shoot migrants in the legs to slow them down."

The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley decried the apparent "fake news characterizations" in a Wednesday statement, but didn't actually deny Trump's reported requests.

And then it was Trump's turn to respond, delivering a tweet that shot down the moat allegation but said nothing about shooting migrants. Kathryn Krawczyk