In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was eager to get President Trump’s Mexican border wall built as soon as possible – and he’s talking about a timetable that could see construction completed long before many expected to see it begun.
“The wall will be built where it’s needed first, and then it will be filled in. That’s the way I look at it,” Kelly said. “I really hope to have it done within the next two years.”
Two years!
Even Trump’s biggest supporters have to find that goal somewhat extraordinary. First, you have the matter of Congress. Will they actually pony up the money? Then you have the ongoing dispute with Mexico, who Trump has promised to make pay for the final tab. Plus, you have the Democrats, who will put up an unbelievable fight to keep the wall from going up. Finally, there’s the underlying nature of federal government projects, which are not typically known for their efficiency.
On the other hand, we’ve never had a president quite like Donald Trump.
In the interview, Gen. Kelly said the wall was only one aspect of Trump’s border security plans.
“Any discussion about the protection of our southwest border involves discussion of physical barriers but also of technological sensors, things like that,” he said. “But it’s a layered approach, and it’s got to be backed up by great men and women who are going to make sure that the wall is intact.”
As for the funds, Kelly said he was confident that Republicans would cough up enough money to get construction underway.
“I think the funding will come relatively quickly and like I said, we will build it where it’s needed first as identified by the men and women who work the border,” Kelly said.
Trump’s hardline stance on illegal immigration separated him from the Republican pack early on, and anyone who expected him to go soft once elected is rapidly waking up to the new reality. With his executive order last week limiting immigration from seven dangerous Middle Eastern countries, President Trump proved that he’s willing to upend the status quo if it means keeping Americans safe. Now he’s turning his attention to one of his biggest campaign promises – a promise his critics said he would never fulfill in a million years.
In Trump, we seem to have one of the rarest creatures in the country – a politician willing to actually do what he said he would do. It’s a remarkable sight to see.
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