“The border wall is truly our first line of defense”
President Trump on Tuesday visited San Diego, the site where prototypes of the border wall he championed during the campaign are being tested.
This marked the president’s first visit to the site, where six US companies constructed eight 30-foot wall mockups designed to meet his demand for a “big, beautiful wall.”
Following an impromptu press briefing, the president said, “I’ll see you at the wall!” as he departed the White House to California.
During the trip, Trump met with several Customs and Border Protection agents, and indicated he favors a see-through wall design because it allows agents to see approaching threats.
“You have to have see through. You have to know what’s on the other side of the wall,” Trump said.
The president also stressed the importance of the current sheet metal wall, which border agents said stops about 90 percent of illegal entries.
“If you didn’t have walls, you wouldn’t have a country,” the president said.
“They re-established law & order in San Diego when they put up a wall.”
“The border wall is truly our first line of defense,” Trump said in prepared remarks.
“The wall will save hundreds of billions of dollars, many, many times what it’s going to cost.”
Amid the trip, the president also issued a tweet criticizing the state of California over its sanctuary city policies and its refusal to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Trump supporters held a rally at the site, with many chanting the familiar campaign slogan, “Build that wall!”
In January US Special Forces operatives tested the walls for vulnerabilities, subjecting the designs to thorough durability assessments by using “jackhammers, saws, torches and other tools,” according to the Associated Press.
