President Trump on Wednesday continued to insist on a wall on the Mexican border, which he said was “like a sieve” that lets in criminals and drugs and fosters human trafficking.
“The United States needs a physical barrier,” he told reporters during a cabinet meeting, adding that America “needs a wall.”
Trump also repeated his claim that former President Barack Obama has a wall “around his compound” because walls work.
Trump had tweeted in recent days that Obama had a “10-foot wall” surrounding his DC pad, which was news to the Obamas’ neighbors.
“The wheel, the wall, some things never get old,” he continued.
He said the use of electronic security and drones would not work.
“I know more about drones than anybody,” he said.
He also blamed Democrats for the government shutdown, which he earlier had said he’d be “proud” to own.
“We are in a shutdown because Democrats refuse to fund border security,” he said, adding that they were playing politics ahead of the 2020 election.
His remarks came hours before the White House was set to stage a Situation Room briefing on border security with top Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
He also commented on Vatican security, ex-Defense Secretary James Mattis, North Korea and bugging out of Syria, among many other topics.
The Vatican
Slamming critics who have called the wall immoral, the president said if that were true the Pope would be in hot water.
“They say the wall’s immoral, then you got to do something about the Vatican because the Vatican has the biggest wall of them all. the wall is immoral,” he said.
North Korea
Trump praised North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un for ratcheting down his rhetoric — and predicted that if he hadn’t been elected World War III would have broken out.
“If another administration came in instead of this administration namely Mike [Pence] and myself and the group around this table, you would be at war right now. You would be having a nice big fat war in Asia and it wouldn’t be pleasant. That could have been a World War III to be honest with you,” he said.
Mattis
The president also said that he effectively fired former Defense Secretary James Mattis while slamming the job the Marine general did in Afghanistan.
“What’s he done for me? How has he done in Afghanistan? Not too good. Not too good. I’m not happy with what he’s done in Afghanistan,” he said — adding that perhaps he could have done a better job himself.
“I think I would have been a good general, but who knows?” he said.
Syria
Trump said Syria “was lost long ago” after ex-President Obama failed to follow up on his threat that Bashar al Assad’s use of nuclear weapons would “cross a red line” and require a US response.
“I don’t want to be in Syria forever. We’re talking about sand and death, that’s what we’re talking about,” he said about the war-ravaged country.
“We’re not talking about vast wealth. We’re talking about sand and death.”