Quote Originally Posted by Judy View Post
Title 10 law provides DOD certain options that could permit use of its funds to build border barriers to support counter drug operations and national emergencies. Trump used the caravans and the opioid crisis including illegal fentanyl imports to declare national emergencies. So it was Trump's decision to declare a national emergency back in October that opens the door now for the military to build the wall, and he stated yesterday that if there's a shutdown because Congress won't give him the money or he can't get it from the military, then he'll own the shutdown. He raised the DOD budget a few days ago from their request of $733 to $750 billion "top-line", which gives him $17 billion for the wall if he needs it without impacting the DOD budget if Congress won't give him the money. Then he starts telling the country that's what he wants to do. Then he meets with Nancy and Chuck on live Tee Vee. Then, the Pentagon announces they can legally do it. Trump works hard at staying ahead of the curve and knows how to create leverage better than anyone I've ever seen.

Will it be the concrete wall? No, I really don't think so. During the campaign it was already shifting from the masonry wall that Trump wanted to something more akin to what Border Patrol wanted, so I think it will be that beautiful 30 foot American-made Steel Bollard Fencing that Border Patrol prefers with the roads they want. Military builds great roads. I also think he's going to keep active military on the border for the indefinite future.

Will it stop it all? Probably not. Will it stop a lot of it? Oh sure, it'll stop a lot of it. And the bollard fencing is easy on the environment and more efficient in dealing with storm drainage issues.

Plus that gives Trump the option either way of saying no to any type of amnesty in exchange for wall funding, assuming he still wants to say no to any type of amnesty.
If Trump changed his mind about the 30 foot concrete and rebar wall, than why did the prototypes he had built look like the 30 foot concrete walls he promised during his campaign? He doesn't get to campaign on one thing to get our votes and then change his mind if he expects to keep our confidence. What's the difference between a flip-flop and a lie?

I noticed you said the Pentagon says some of it's funds can be used to build border barriers. Interesting that you would use the word barrier instead of wall. Barriers, while used to impede or block passage can be temporary in nature. They can also be as simple as a waist high chain-link fence. Trump promised during his campaign that he would build an impenetrable wall made of concrete that he would reinforce with rebar. That's the wall we were promised and that's a promise many of us expect him to keep!

Now the Trump administration seems to have shifted goalposts, saying any new updates, maintenance work, or replacements of existing barriers qualify as part of "Trump's wall." Well, we all know that is a lie. The replacement bollard fencing is fencing, not a wall.

You can't decide to call your cat a dog and expect him to defend your home just because you decided to call him something he is not. Well, same thing goes for the bollard fencing. You can't call the fencing a wall and expect it to do the same thing as what you used to describe as a big beautiful rebar reinforced concrete wall. The Trump administration can attempt to re-brand the fencing as a wall, but those of us with half a brain know better and won't be fooled!