Trump Concedes Border Wall Construction

Aaron Butler and Camille Abdulla

President Donald Trump pushed back Wednesday against “haters” who say he is making little headway on his signature campaign promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, though he admitted that much of the work currently being done was “pure renovation.”

“Much of the Wall being built at the Southern Border is a complete demolition and rebuilding of old and worthless barriers with a brand new Wall and footings. Problem is, the Haters say that is not a new Wall, but rather a renovation. Wrong, and we must build where most needed,” he wrote on Twitter. “Also, tremendous work is being done on pure renovation – fixing existing Walls that are in bad condition and ineffective, and bringing them to a very high standard!”
Trump oversaw the longest government shutdown in history earlier this year, an impasse created by his insistence on wall funding. His administration also remains mired in a legal battle over his attempt to skirt Congress to secure funding for his proposed border wall by declaring a national emergency.