Having spectacularly failed to deliver on every POTUS’ tacit promise that he wouldn’t try to kill us all, Donald Trump is desperately trying to keep one of his oldest and stupidest promises: He WILL build a pointless, expensive, easily traversed wall on our southern border, and our military will pay for it.
According to Bloomberg, Defense Secretary Mark Esper is deferring $545 million in construction projects to pay for Trump’s eminently saw-through-able vanity wall. And, of course, the now-delayed construction projects were meant to serve as a check on Russia. Because of course they were.
Bloomberg:
In a memo sent Monday to the Pentagon’s comptroller and other officials, Esper lists several projects in Norway, Germany, Spain and elsewhere totaling more than $200 million from which he says funds can be redirected.
Those projects are all part of the European Deterrence Initiative designed to bolster allies and undermine Russia’s growing influence on the continent. The projects include infrastructure for military aircraft, fuel, munitions and cargo.
Esper has the authority to redirect funds from both domestic and foreign construction programs because Trump has declared a national emergency in order to spur funding for one of his top campaign priorities -- the southwestern border wall.
Great. Except Mexico is our ally. Russia, not so much. Also, if we’re deferring expensive projects, maybe we could redirect the money to PPE or COVID-19 tests or a McDonald’s Playland ball pit for Trump to swim around in with all his ReopenMyGapingHeadWoundNY friends.
In other words, maybe building a useless wall shouldn’t be our top priority right now. Just a thought.