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The news broke recently that $6.1 billion of Defense Department funds would be diverted—under the authority of Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and made possible through President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency and deployment of military resources—to pay for Trump's border wall project. To show the progress being made with the money originally slated for military construction projects, the White House Twitter account shared a video.
The clip of a single section of bollard fencing being raised was captioned:
"We are building the wall."
You can watch and listen to the video here.
We are building the wall. https://t.co/VJWNqBGWHm— The White House (@The White House) 1570132883.0
Despite the rousing soundtrack and production values, people were less than impressed.
Many pointed out, again, that bollard fencing makes a fence, not a wall.
The Trump administration contracted over $20 million dollars for eight wall prototypes that all failed in testing and were eventually scrapped to make way for the bollard fence.
@WhiteHouse Is this a fence for ants? https://t.co/3wnrHAAxA0— kevin (@kevin) 1570140206.0
@WhiteHouse 1) It's NOT a wall. You can't see through a wall. 2) You're replacing old border fence NOT building new… https://t.co/5XjTtDpzdi— Michael Petty (@Michael Petty) 1570133364.0
@WhiteHouse Replacing outdated barrier with a fence is not a new wall. PS Fence won't keep impeachment out. It w… https://t.co/iO64HUHjJu— Karen Myatt (@Karen Myatt) 1570136999.0
@WhiteHouse No you're not. That's a fence and a fence with just one fatal flaw. Ooops. https://t.co/iSBvSPss3n— 😇Micaiah😇 (@😇Micaiah😇) 1570133255.0
Others brought up the many photos and video of people demonstrating how the placement of the bollards in the fence make it easy to climb in a matter of seconds.
@WhiteHouse https://t.co/3IFhceBDyn— JGMCT (@JGMCT) 1570133191.0
@WhiteHouse 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣 https://t.co/bZm5efYl2y— By Grabthar's Hammer (@By Grabthar's Hammer) 1570140933.0
@WhiteHouse Yeah, and it is just as ridiculous... https://t.co/kftmb2BCP7— Anthony Tompkins (@Anthony Tompkins) 1570133035.0
While some focused on the single piece of machinery and single piece of bollard fencing shown in the video.
@WhiteHouse I’m no engineer but I don’t think one panel in the middle of a desert is going to keep many people out— LiDu (@LiDu) 1570137227.0
@WhiteHouse @WhiteHouse How many miles of wall have been built? How many miles of wall is there to go? How much h… https://t.co/UhYHtWDg4y— Chad M (@Chad M) 1570144382.0
@WhiteHouse There’s only one piece and only one machine in this video. Good luck with that poseurs.— Standard Interholiday 𝓡𝓪𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓽 (@Standard Interholiday 𝓡𝓪𝓫𝓫𝓲𝓽) 1570143425.0
@WhiteHouse It's five F'in slats in the 3rd and last year of your presidency. OH and you promised Mexico was suppos… https://t.co/ATHIjQGA5H— Suzanne Lindbergh (@Suzanne Lindbergh) 1570136500.0
The fact the money came from the military and the impact taking that money would have on military families featured prominently in responses to the White House video.
@WhiteHouse Is this why United States Military Families are not getting required housing? Soldiers and their famil… https://t.co/KPo3OUXCCi— MicalMacal (@MicalMacal) 1570208914.0
@WhiteHouse Why? Waste! Worthless! What could we have gotten before Trump stole this money?— William Hawkins (@William Hawkins) 1570135819.0
@WhiteHouse @realDonaldTrump Ego Wall costs our Military and our Real Security. https://t.co/z2mbj95lkR— ScottPaynter2 (@ScottPaynter2) 1570135550.0
Trump's border wall was a major part of his 2016 campaign. While running for President, Trump repeatedly claimed he would build a wall that would not be a fence and it would cost United States' taxpayers nothing as Mexico would pay for it.
Despite his administration, MAGA rallies and supporters claiming Mexico is paying for Trump's fence and the fence is a wall, fact checkers call both claims false.
As of Friday, October 4, 2019, the 2020 presidential election is 395 days away.
If you've got a wall you're constructing, the Self-Adhesive Trump-Wall Patch is available here.