Trump’s bright idea for big wall
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump pitched a new concept to his supporters yesterday for the wall he intends to erect on the Mexican border: cover it with solar panels – and use the energy to cover construction costs.
“Yes, we will build a wall,” Mr Trump told the crowd at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
“We have to stop the drugs from flowing in.
“I will give you an idea that nobody has heard about yet. The southern border. Lots of sun, lots of heat. We are thinking about building a wall as a solar wall. So it creates energy. And pays for itself.”
“And this way, Mexico will have to pay much less money. And that’s good. Right?” quipped the President, whose initial pledge to make Mexico pay for the wall has met with stiff resistance from America’s southern neighbour.
“Think of it, the higher it goes, the more valuable it is,” he enthused. “Pretty good imagination, right? My idea!”
The US administration put out a call for proposals several months ago for the construction of the border wall, one of which – submitted by a Las Vegas businessman named Tom Gleason – involved using solar panels.
The Trump administration has yet to make serious headway on the president’s emblematic but hugely costly campaign pledge to build a wall on the Mexican border.
Under pressure from Democrats, the US Congress has so far refused to commit funding to the project, agreeing only to finance maintenance on existing parts of the border fence.
The real funding battle will play out starting in October, when 2018 budget negotiations begin in earnest.
Mr Trump defended his record at the raucous political rally, gloating about recent Republican election victories, rejecting a Russia investigation
THINK OF IT, THE HIGHER IT GOES, THE MORE VALUABLE IT IS. PRETTY GOOD IMAGINATION, RIGHT? MY IDEA! US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP
as a witch hunt and saying he is succeeding against all odds, despite no major legislative achievements.
“All we do is win, win, win,” he told the cheering crowd.
Mr Trump spoke for more than an hour at the rally. He celebrated the wins this week by fellow Republican congressional candidates in Georgia and South Carolina, claiming they were an endorsement of his record.
“We’re 5-0 in special elections,” he said. While Republicans have scored a string of victories, the Georgia election was the party’s first major test of voter sentiment since Trump won in November.