It Looks Like Mexico Isn’t Paying for That Border Wall—You Are

Donald Trump now insists the United States will be reimbursed at a later date.

Jorge Nu‘Ez/ZUMA

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Donald Trump is still two weeks away from entering the White House, and he already appears to have bent, if not broken, his signature campaign promise to force Mexico to pay for the construction of a border wall along the US-Mexico border. According to CNN, the president-elect’s transition team has asked House Republicans to fund the wall through the appropriations process, essentially meaning taxpayers—not Mexico—would be paying for the wall.

On Friday, Trump appeared to acknowledge the report but insisted that Mexico would reimburse the United States at a later date:

Trump’s pledge to build a massive wall, and to expel millions of undocumented Mexican immigrants he described as “rapists” and “criminals,” was a key element of his presidential bid. In August, he flew to Mexico to meet with President Enrique Peña Nieto, but he failed to discuss any payment of his proposed border wall. “That’ll be for a later date,” Trump said after the meeting.

Nieto has repeatedly said his country would not be paying for such a wall.

Politico reports House Republicans are working with Trump’s team to possibly use a 2006 law signed by then-President George W. Bush to authorize the construction of a 700-mile barrier along the US-Mexico border. 

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DEFEND THE TRUTH. DEFEND JOURNALISM.

“Lying.” “Disgusting.” “Scum.” “Slime.” “Corrupt.” “Enemy of the people.” Donald Trump has always made clear what he thinks of journalists. And it’s plain now that his administration intends to do everything it can to stop journalists from reporting things it doesn’t like—which is most things that are true.

We’ll say it loud and clear: At Mother Jones, no one gets to tell us what to publish or not publish, because no one owns our fiercely independent newsroom. But that also means we need to directly raise the resources it takes to keep our journalism alive. There’s only one way for that to happen, and it’s readers like you stepping up. Please do your part and help us reach our $150,000 membership goal by May 31.

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