Standing before a crowd in Arizona on the last day of August in 2016, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump declared that if elected, he would build a wall along the Southern border to stop illegal immigration. Earlier that day, he met with then-Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto to discuss paying for the wall. He told the crowd in Arizona that Mexico will pay for the wall, “100%.”
During his first term, 458 miles of barrier (wall) were built or replaced. The cost estimate for the construction was $4-8 billion. The actual construction averaged $25 million per mile and reached a completed cost of $15 billion, nearly 100% over budget. The funds for the wall were diverted from the Department of Defense budget by emergency order, which, of course, is funded by American taxpayers. Mexico never paid one peso.
Fast forward to Trump’s second term, the unlawful demolition of the historic East Wing of the White House, and the construction of a 90,000-square-foot ballroom to be completely privately funded. Trump promised that private donations would pay for this “gift to Our Country” in July of last year. Internal documents show that $293 million has been donated from private sources and earmarked for the ballroom’s construction. That’s more than he got from Mexico for the wall. Yet, many of these private donors are major corporations like Meta, Amazon, Planatir, a major defense contractor, and others with business before the federal government.
The price for the ballroom was initially estimated to be $200 million, but now the cost is estimated to be $600 million, 300% over budget. And Trump is seeking taxpayer funds.
According to multiple media reports, Trump has shifted $352 million from the Secret Service budget. Senate Republicans dropped a plan to approve $1 billion for ballroom security over fears it would cost them votes on immigration enforcement funding. Not one to let Congress stand in his way, Trump has found another maneuver to secure taxpayer funding for his vanity project.
The White House claims that recent threats against the President, including the thwarted UFC plot, justify the costs for security. Allegedly, the ballroom will be “drone-proof,” serve as a shield of sorts for the White House, and provide additional “sniper nests.”
This “gift” the President promised the American people is akin to giving your children money to buy a Christmas gift for you. They sprint directly to the store’s toy aisle, purchase their favorite doll, video game, or Lego set, and expect you to be elated to unwrap just what they wanted. In this case, taxpayers have given Trump over $350 million to purchase one of many “toys,” and he destroyed a family heirloom to make room for it. Clearly, our “baby” needs some discipline, and if Congress won’t provide it, then the American electorate must do it in November.