A washing robot cleans a row of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base on Feb. 16, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Getty Trump floats idea of using solar panels to pay for Mexico wall

President Donald Trump floated putting solar panels on his planned Mexican border wall in a meeting with legislative leaders Tuesday afternoon, according to White House and Capitol Hill officials.

It was unclear why Trump brought up the topic, but he presented the panels as a way to fund the wall, which is expected to cost billions of dollars, according to three people familiar with the conversation.


He didn't express certainty that it would happen — but that he'd heard it as a possible idea and wanted to see what others thought, said a senior official familiar with the White House meeting.

Trump has insisted that Mexico will pay for the wall’s construction — something Mexican officials have repeatedly denied — but has acknowledged that taxpayers may need to initially foot the bill before being repaid.

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The president’s interest in a potential solar panel solution comes as he’s received intense criticism from world leaders for his decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement.