In recent memory, fewer phrases have been more significant, controversial and memorable than many of President Donald J. Trump’s campaign slogans. These include such phrases “Make America Great Again” and “Build the wall.” On both sides of the political spectrum, conservative or liberal, you will be hard pressed to find an individual without at least some form of an opinion on Trump’s presidency or the proposed border wall. Regardless of one’s support or resistance to the long-promised wall, it is hard to deny that the wall is not only a dividing barrier physically, but one that also serves to broaden the gap between prevalent political ideologies.
“Mexico will pay for the wall!” tweeted then Republican Presidential Nominee Trump on Sept. 1, 2016. This was a bold claim that has since stuck and become a rallying cry for many of his dedicated supporters. However, as nearly anyone with at least a passing knowledge of politics will tell you, very rarely will things go as planned. In response to Trump’s promises, Mexico has repeatedly denied paying for the proposed wall, according to Politico. “It is evident that we have some differences with the new government of the United States, like the topic of the wall, that Mexico of course will not pay,” then President Enrique Peña Nieto was quoted as saying during a press conference in early 2017.
What does this mean for the United States and dreams of a border wall? Some, including Trump himself over Twitter, have cited the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) signed into law on Nov. 30, 2018, which restructures the former North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as a solution. However, this doesn’t include any provisions about allocating funds from Mexico directly to any wall-building projects.
If Mexico isn’t paying for the wall, then who is? Trump’s hopes for the completion of the wall through USMCA are predicated on the idea that under the new trade act, economic activity in the United States will be stimulated, bringing in larger amounts of tax revenue which would allow the government to fund the wall in its entirety. The problem for Trump’s promises is that this money isn’t coming directly from Mexico, nor has the Mexican government agreed to any provisions under USMCA that would filter Mexican funding directly into the border wall project, according to The New York Times.
Liberty Vittert, a statistician published by Fox News, has estimated the border wall project at costing approximately $25 billion, a far cry from the $20.6 million collected by the GoFundMe donation pool titled “We the People Will Build the Wall.” Such an astronomically high number seems almost incomprehensible, and American taxpayers will ultimately shoulder the financial burden, sharing many similarities with the ambitious GoFundMe.
For a fraction of $25 billion, America can invest in education reform that allows public school teachers the material and equipment needed to create safe, effective learning environments for children. We can repair essential infrastructure including roads and piping systems to avoid a repeat of Flint, Michigan’s ongoing water crisis because of aging lead water pipes. It is ultimately unclear then, the true value of a new wall on the southern border, when the cracks are beginning to show in our own walls.