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Twitter Mocks Trump After He Admits Taxpayers Will Fund Mexican Border Wall, Calls It ‘Great Wall’
President-elect Donald Trump early Friday morning sent a tweet that changed one of the Republican candidate’s primary campaign promises.
Around 6 a.m., Trump tweeted, “The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!”
Trump seemed to signal that he will ask Congress, and by extension the American taxpayer, to pay the initial costs of the wall and Mexico would then pay America back.
The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2017
During his presidential campaign announcement in June 2015, Trump said, “I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me — and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
That statement on its face does not explicitly say Mexico would pay up-front for the wall, but the implication was that American taxpayers would have to pay nothing.
In October, Trump had already begun to backtrack on his initial proposal. In a speech laying out some of his objectives for his first 100 days in office, Trump said a wall would be built and that Mexico would reimburse us for it, according to CNN.
Trump Admits Taxpayers Will Pay for His “Great Wall” After All – Vanity Fair https://t.co/yOSerBZ1Fa
— sj (@sjneedsanap) January 6, 2017
For some of Trump’s supporters, the reimbursement announcement may come as a shock. Throughout his campaign, the president-elect led chants of “Who will pay for the wall?” “Mexico, Mexico, Mexico!”
Considering Republicans are more often overly concerned with the current national deficit, it remains unclear how many will react to this more firm stance on where the funds will come from.
On Twitter, users were quick to pounce on the president-elect’s use of “Great Wall,” noting that one already exists in China and that maybe Trump could have tried for a different name.
Great Wall? That’s already a thing. Try again. https://t.co/QsE5rhKboP
— Mulken (@mark_dubya__) January 6, 2017
Oklahoma can’t even remove snow from a road, but the USA is gonna build a Great Wall, a Yuge Wall, believe me!
— Fresh Brew (@TheFreshBrew) January 6, 2017
Is there a coupon for this Great Wall? BECAUSE I AIN’T PAYIN FOR IT. can we get 70% off healthcare instead?
— Jordan Pease (@jordancpease) January 6, 2017
Trump’s Friday morning tweet may have been prompted by former Mexican president Vicente Fox tweeting on Thursday night, “Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can’t keep.” Fox has derided the president-elect’s claims for months.
“Great Wall”
Trump:Who’s gonna pay for the wall?
Crowd: MEXICO!
Trump:Who?
Crowd: MEXICO!
Trump:We’re gonna pay for the wall
Crowd: What?— Felicia (@Felicia_Byee) January 6, 2017
I saw Great Wall trending and thought something happened to it. You know, the one in China…
— V for Valentina ☕ (@ValsCappuccino) January 6, 2017
Great Wall Won’t Be Built, I hope..America cannot afford Healthcare for ALL but we have tax money for a wall that won’t work
— Save Our Wildlife (@sandyherr2) January 6, 2017
