Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney on Saturday admitted that American taxpayers are going to have to pick up the tab for President Donald Trump's border wall between the United States and Mexico.
Mulvaney told ABC's Jonathan Karl he believes the administration is in a "good place in terms of getting the wall built" (they are not, as Trump shut down the government over this issue) and "having Mexico participated in our border security."
Karl reminded Mulvaney: "But none of that is Mexico paying for the wall."
Mulvaney's response further muddied the waters.
"Technically, you and I both know that it cannot work exactly like that," Mulvaney said. “I can't spend any money at the office of Management and Budget. The Department of Homeland Security can’t actually spend money from Mexico. We have to get it from the Treasury.”
Watch below:
Karl was not going to let Mulvaney off the hook so easily.
“Mexico was going to pay for this wall from day one,” Karl said. “The day he announced he was running for president [Trump said] 'I will build a great on our southern border. I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.' Mark his words. Now, the president has forced a government shutdown because he’s insisting that American taxpayers pay for that wall. What gives?”
Mexico is never going to pay for Trump's wall. Ever.
We knew this was coming.
On Friday, Trump oversaw his third government shutdown in two years when he refused to sign a bipartisan continuing resolution that included border security funding but stopped short of earmarking money for a wall.
Two weeks ago, Trump said he would "be proud to shut down the government over border security" and that he would take the blame.
Now, with an incoming Democratic House and dwindling political capital, Trump is refusing to budge.
And Twitter is on to him.
Mulvaney's support for the wall is new. During the campaign, Mulvaney said a border wall would be pointless.
But not anymore.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) urged Trump over the weekend to "abandon the wall" if he wants to reopen the government. It is likely the government will remain shut down until the new Congress is sworn in on January 3.
