Trump’s great wall tantrum is diversion tactic

He is using the issue to distract attention from various investigations involving him and his family, writes Dawie Jacobs.

It is inconceivable that the leader of a superpower has been spending so much time and energy on a border wall during his election campaign and the first two years of his presidency.

Border control is a normal function of any government. It is even more ironic because all parties are in favour of effective border control and a number of suggestions have been tabled to adress it, but his ego prevented him from signing, since it would not have been a big enough “win” for him!

The wall started off as a 30m-high concrete wall stretching over 3 218km. Due to pressure from the Democrats he now speaks of a steel fence that will only cover certain stretches of the border.

He elevated a basic government function that would normally be attended to without great fanfare to a central issue to stoke fear and mobilise his “tribe”.

During his campaign, he not only offended Mexico, which he said would pay for the wall, but demonised immigrants as criminals, rapists and drug dealers.

Against the background of various investigations involving him and his family, he is now using the wall to distract attention and upgraded it to a national emergency that he addressed on TV.

Meanwhile about one million government workers are without pay for three weeks because he “proudly” shut down the government to achieve his “”win”. Ironically, he said he “can relate” to the plight of those workers!

The world is watching with amusement, but also with great concern given the confusion, uncertainty and division he is causing, not only in his own country, but acros the globe.

When will his bluff finally be called?