Special Poll
- President-elect Trump has initiated legal action, seeking court intervention over the Biden administration’s alleged sale of border wall materials, which Congress mandated be sold or distributed.
- Trump’s legal team is using an article from the conservative Daily Wire as the basis for their claims, which describes the administration’s actions as a “fire sale” of the materials at significantly reduced prices.
- Contrary to the article’s claims, the sales were in compliance with last year’s defense policy bill, which mandated the administration to dispose of any unused border wall materials, a requirement fulfilled during the summer.
- Trump has submitted an amicus brief to the Southern District of Texas, urging a halt to these sales and demanding an investigation, citing these actions as unlawful, unconstitutional, and potentially criminal.
- Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, emphasized that Trump remains committed to continuing the border wall construction.
- The controversy centers around a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, which permits the sale or donation of border wall materials to southern states, provided they are used to refurbish existing barriers rather than constructing new ones.
- The Department of Defense has stated that further sales cannot be blocked as all surplus materials have already been distributed.
- Customs and Border Protection along with the states of Texas and California previously requested and received materials. Remaining materials were sold to GovPlanet, a company specializing in government surplus.
- The lawsuit also discusses the legality of transferring border wall materials from the military to the Department of Homeland Security, which Trump’s attorneys argue is legally murky.
- During Trump’s first term, only 52 miles of new border wall were constructed, with the remainder being replacements of existing structures.
- Despite President Biden’s efforts to halt the construction, legal challenges and certain obligations have led to the continuation of some construction activities.