Trump says border wall views have not changed

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday reaffirmed his pledge to build a border wall financed by Mexico, pushing back on Twitter against comments made by his chief of staff indicating the president had “evolved” on his expectations for a massive wall.

“The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it,” Trump wrote in one of a series of Thursday morning tweets. “Parts will be, of necessity, see through and it was never intended to be built in areas where there is natural protection such as mountains, wastelands or tough rivers or water.”

Trump’s defense of the wall came after reports emerged Wednesday that White House chief of staff John Kelly, in a closed-door meeting with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told lawmakers that the president’s campaign pledge to build a barrier along the border of the United States and Mexico was “not informed,” and that there would not be “a 50-foot wall from sea to shining sea.”

Kelly confirmed his reported remarks in a Wednesday night interview with Fox News, telling network anchor Bret Baier “there’s been an evolutionary process that this president has gone through.”

“I pointed out to all the members that were in the room that they all say things during the course of campaigns that may or may not be fully informed,” Kelly said.

Kelly’s meeting with the lawmakers was the latest in a series of ongoing bipartisan negotiations aimed at reaching a budget deal that also addresses immigration reform and border security.

Speaking on Fox News, Kelly said experts had advised Trump that there “are places where, geographically, a wall would not be realistic,” but said the administration would still like Congress to authorize $20 billion in funding for 700 miles of additional border wall.

Trump on Twitter said “the $20 billion dollar Wall is ‘peanuts’ compared to what Mexico makes from” a trade agreement with the United States and Canada, and insisted the wall “will be paid for, directly or indirectly, or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico,” despite assertions from Mexico’s government that it will not foot the bill.

White House spokesman Raj Shah downplayed reports that Trump was angered by Kelly’s remarks, telling reporters they share a “great relationship,” and Trump was instead “frustrated with the media coverage” of the comments.

“The president’s position on border security has been very clear since day one,” Shah said.

Also Thursday, Trump traveled to a manufacturing plant just outside of Pittsburgh to tout his tax plan, while also lending his support to the Republican candidate in a key congressional special election race.

The trip was initially billed by the White House as an official trip to promote the president’s economic agenda, but hours before departing Trump tweeted he was “going to Pennsylvania today in order to give my total support to” Republican Rick Saccone who is running against Democrat Conor Lamb for an open seat vacated by Republican Rep. Tim Murphy. Murphy, who represented a district won by Trump in 2016, resigned last year over a sex scandal.

Trump, speaking to reporters before his speech to workers at H&K Equipment Co. in Coraopolis, praised Saccone and promised to return to the area to campaign for him before the March 13 special election.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted the trip was not considered a political event, which would have required the Republican National Committee to share in the cost of the trip.

“While the President has made clear his support for Republican candidates throughout the country, including in Pennsylvania, the purpose of today’s visit is to promote the President’s successful agenda especially on taxes,” Sanders said in a statement.