Trump Slams Biden For Selling Border Wall Materials, Calls For Immediate Halt
President-elect Donald Trump has blasted the Biden administration for auctioning off unused border wall materials, calling the move “crazy” and accusing it of sabotaging his incoming administration.
In Arizona, government contractors are removing tons of steel bollards and fencing, initially purchased during Trump’s first term, and listing them on a government surplus auction site for bids starting as low as $5. According to Border Patrol agents, about half a mile’s worth of materials is being transported daily to clear the stockpile by Christmas.
Trump took to his social media platform, Truth, on Friday to call out the Biden administration. “Joe Biden keeps talking about a smooth transition and unified government, and yet he races to sell desperately needed border wall for pennies on the dollar,” Trump wrote. “It will cost the U.S. a fortune, and time, to get the exact same wall to replace what has been sold, and the new wall will cost triple the price. It is CRAZY, and must be stopped.”
Critics argue that the sell-off undermines Trump’s plans to rebuild and expand the border wall after taking office on January 20. Without these materials, the new administration would face higher costs and potential delays, possibly requiring additional funding from Congress to purchase replacements.
Republican lawmakers have expressed outrage over the sales. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, demanding the operation cease immediately. “The Biden Administration is sabotaging the incoming Trump Administration just weeks ahead of President Trump’s inauguration,” Schmitt wrote. He noted the government is recouping less than 0.02% of taxpayer funds originally spent on the materials, calling it a wasteful and deliberate attempt to hinder border security.
The revelation comes as illegal immigration remains a contentious issue. Republicans argue the Biden administration’s policies have exacerbated the border crisis, and they see the auctioning of wall materials as further evidence of its failure to prioritize national security.
With Trump set to resume office, the controversy over the border wall signals ongoing battles between the incoming and outgoing administrations over immigration policy and resource management.
