This is a long way from “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” Donald Trump wants his border wall to inflict pain. The Washington Post report the president is micromanaging the project to make sure anyone attempting to climb it will suffer.
“The bollards, or “slats,” as he prefers to call them, should be painted “flat black,” a dark hue that would absorb heat in the summer, making the metal too hot for climbers to scale, Trump has recently told White House aides, Homeland Security officials and military engineers.
“And the tips of the bollards should be pointed, not round, the president insists, describing in graphic terms the potential injuries that border crossers might receive.”
“Trump told one group of aides that the metal points would cut the hands of climbers and function as a more effective deterrent.” – The Washington Post
According to the Post, the president has summoned Homeland Security and Army Corps of Engineer officials to the White House to discuss the wall in minute detail.
Some of the president’s requests have led to significant alterations in the design. In particular, he insisted on boosting the height of the structure to 30 feet, far taller than the 15- to 18-foot range that CBP officials had previously settled on as optimal.