Donald Trump backtracks on pledge to build Mexico border wall, top aide says

Donald Trump has back-tracked on his pledge
AFP/Getty Images
David Gardner18 January 2018

Donald Trump is backtracking on his controversial pledge to build a wall along America’s border with Mexico, according to White House chief-of-staff John Kelly.

President Trump’s promise to erect a 2,000-mile wall — which he insisted would be paid for by Mexico — was a defining campaign platform that helped propel him to the White House. But General Kelly told Democrat politicians last night that the president had not been “fully informed” when he made his rallying cry to voters during the presidential race.

According to the New York Times, he also suggested he had persuaded the president that a physical wall was unnecessary.

General Kelly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that Mr Trump’s view on the wall had “evolved”. He reportedly said that “he was the one who tempered” Mr Trump on the issue. General Kelly is said to have argued that “a physical barrier will not do the job” and has urged Mr Trump not to dwell on his goal of getting Mexico to pay for the wall.

Democrat Congressman Luis

Gutiérrez, who was at the meeting, quoted General Kelly as having told the group that “a 50-foot wall from sea to shining sea isn’t what we’re going to build”.

Mr Gutiérrez claimed that at the meeting, General Kelly said that during the presidential campaign “there were statements made about the wall that were not informed statements”.

Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard said she was told that since taking office, Mr Trump “realises what the realities are, and that they are no longer considering the wall to be what was described in the campaign.

Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, denied General Kelly suggested the president was “uninformed”. But the New York Times said Mr Short did not dispute the claim that Mr Trump had changed his view of what is required to secure the US southern border with Mexico. A row on immigration between lawmakers and the White House was risking a federal government shutdown.

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