At the end of this article, I will declare my willingness to do something that would get me arrested if Donald Trump can get Mexico to pay for his wall. I’m 100% certain that if he’s able to win the nomination (doubtful) and then the general election (nearly impossible) that he will never be able to get Mexico to fork over more than a token portion of the massive budget required to build and maintain the wall.
How can I be so certain? They don’t have the money. Trump uses big numbers and misdirection through trade deficits that most Americans don’t understand to try to make us all believe that they will do it. The problem is that trade deficits are driven by private citizens. The tax revenue that the Mexican government makes off of the goods shipped to the United States is infinitesimal compared to the dollars that would be required to build the wall.
Keep one thing in mind: I want a border wall. I was calling for a border wall when Trump was still helping Rahm Emanuel and Bill de Blasio win their elections. My opposition is to the false promise that has ballooned from a headline-grabbing tall tale to a full-blown policy recommendation. It cannot happen. They don’t have the money. The country is struggling to keep cartels from killing their journalists and politicians. Threatening to block money transfers to Mexico will not compel them to do the impossible.
Here’s the biggest problem with Trump’s alleged plan. He knows it’s impossible. He exists in hyperbole and has spent a lifetime making big promises only to talk or sue his way out of them later. If he’s able to con his way into the White House, he’ll find someone to blame for obstructing his grand wall plan. The most likely candidate for this would be Congress. Trump, as the master salesman and manipulator that he is, will lay down media spin that he would build the wall of Congress would simply work with him.
The day that Trump is able to get Mexico to pay for his wall, I’ll dance naked on the top of the Empire State Building chanting, “Trump was right! Trump was right!” Getting any country to fork over such a large portion of their GDP is the type of strong arm tactics that can only end with them looking for alliances that will hurt Americans.