Trump Says Mexico Will Pay Blankety-Blank Dollars For Border Wall … Wait, What?

This got missed somehow. Probably because of Wisconsin. Earlier this week, Trump made news with his (finally!) policy explanation on how he will build a border wall and make Mexico pay for it. The Washington Post ran an article here about the news.

His argument starts thus:

To explain how he would have the standing to pursue his aggressive strategy, Trump begins by citing a provision in the Code of Federal Regulations that sets the standards for financial institutions in identifying their customers.

That provision, Trump says, makes it possible for the executive branch to “issue detailed regulations on the subject.” He predicted that Mexico would react by initially balking, then doing what he wants.

I would like to note the appeal to details. I would like to note that, because this is the very next paragraph.

Trump writes that “if the Mexican government will contribute $_ billion to the United States to pay for the wall, the Trump Administration will not promulgate the final rule, and the regulation will not go into effect.”

Um. wut.

$_ billion? I mean, I realize that he hasn’t, like, priced the lumber and that you never know when Lowe’s is going to have a sale, but BLANK billion dollars? This is supposed to be a serious explanation of his policy and they leave blanks??

Forget the fact that the wall’s popularity is slipping. Forget the fact that Mexico paying for it is a dumb talking point he probably never expected to have to make good on. Forget the fact that his impractical idea of blocking remittances would definitely increase the incentive for illegal immigration. Forget that. Remember this: Trump sent a “memo” to Bob Woodward to explain this idea that is the CENTRAL PREMISE BEHIND HIS ENTIRE CAMPAIGN and he couldn’t even fill in the cost estimate!!! He left it blank!!

Which is kind of a great metaphor, really. It’s why people vote for him. He leaves things blank, they fill them in with whatever they want to believe he’ll do.

Amazing.

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