President Donald Trump inspected border wall prototypes in March 2018, eventually settling on steel bollard fencing, but the results of testing by the Department of Homeland Security in 2017 showed all the prototypes, including the steel slats, were vulnerable to breaching.
A photo of a steel slat prototype exclusively obtained by NBC News proved it could be cut through with a saw. Experts from the Marine Corps were instructed to attempt to destroy the barriers with common tools.
The photograph was not initially included in the internal report and was only released following a Freedom of Information Act Request by KPBS, a public radio station based in San Diego.
The president has maintained that his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is "critical" for national security. Asked about the photograph above, he claimed "that’s a wall designed by previous administrations." NBC notes that "it is true that previous administrations used this design, the prototype was built during his administration."
For many, the photo is further indication that the president's promise of an "impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful" wall is little more than a vanity project with no practical applications.
The president is flying to Texas today to advocate for the wall's construction. According to The New York Times, he expressed doubt that doing so would end the government shutdown, which after tomorrow, will be the longest one in our nation's history.
“It’s not going to change a damn thing, but I’m still doing it,” Trump said.
The president's contentious address on border security two nights ago has also been derided as one based on lies and racism.
He emphasized the need for a wall along our nation’s southern border, suggesting at one point that it was morally imperative.
“Some have suggested a barrier is immoral. Then why do wealthy politicians build walls, fences and gates around their homes?” he said. “They don’t build walls because they hate the people on the outside, but because they love the people on the inside.”
The president's discussions with Democrats yesterday failed, according to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said Trump “slammed the table” and “just walked out” after being told Democrats would not pay for a border wall. Republicans said otherwise, with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy saying that “what [Schumer] described the meeting to be was totally different than what took place.”
