Donald Trump struck back after Chief of Staff John Kelly attempted to clarify the president's current stance on his campaign pledge to erect a wall on the US's southern border.

"The Wall is the Wall, it has never changed or evolved from the first day I conceived of it," Trump wrote Thursday on Twitter. "Parts of it will be, of necessity, see through [sic] and it was never intended to be built in areas where there is natural protection such as mountains, wastelands or tough rivers or water."

Kelly made the remarks at a closed-door meeting with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday, The New York Times reported. According to the newspaper, Kelly said Trump had pledged his "big, beautiful wall" before becoming "fully informed" of the natural barriers that already lie along the US border with Mexico. He added that he had persuaded Trump that he did not need the wall and said the president's opinion on the once-sacred barrier had "evolved."

The chief of staff met lawmakers to discuss protections for people brought to the United States as children without authorization after Trump had made hundreds of thousands of such people vulnerable to deportation when he rescinded safeguards put in place by his predecessor, Barack Obama. Kelly didn't confirm the comments, but he made similar remarks to Fox News, saying Trump had "very definitely changed his attitude" toward protecting the young immigrants "and even the wall, once we briefed him."

Border between Mexico and the US

'A bad joke'

Trump once again promised that Mexico would pay to erect his wall. That statement proved popular on the campaign trail, but officials on the other side of the border say they have no intent of helping Trump erect his barrier; some estimates put the probable costs upwards of $20 billion (€16 billion).

Prototype of the wall between Mexico and the US

"The Wall will be paid for, directly or indirectly, or through longer term reimbursement, by Mexico, which has a ridiculous $71 billion trade surplus with the US," Trump tweeted on Thursday. "The $20 billion dollar Wall is 'peanuts' compared to what Mexico makes from the US. NAFTA is a bad joke!"

That referred to the much-maligned North American Free Trade Agreement that Bill Clinton, the husband of Trump's 2016 electoral opponent Hillary, had negotiated as president during the 1990s. A widespread feeling that the pact has served primarily to enrich corporations is credited with helping Trump nick at least a few voters from the heavily favored former secretary of state during the 2016 election.

Life in the shadow of the wall The wall exists The border between the US and Mexico spans about 1,900 miles, of which nearly 700 miles are currently covered by walls and fences. Tijuana is the largest city in Baja California, one of the six Mexican states with a border to the US.

Life in the shadow of the wall Sweeping views The residents of this house near the US-Mexico border fence enjoy a wider view of the scrublands in the US state of California.

Life in the shadow of the wall Trump critic Mexican architect Carlos Torres, 68, has been living in his house near the fence for three decades. He said the proposed wall will not be able to halt immigration. "Trump doesn't know what he's talking about. Here at this fence, people keep crossing every week," Torres explained.

Life in the shadow of the wall Treehouse Guatemalan chef Joaquin, 36, builds a bed in a tree, near a section of the border fence. He said he was deported from the United States. At night from his bed, Joaquin tries to look into the heavens through the leaves. "I've tried to cross so many times that the border guards even got to know me, but I never made it back," he said.

Life in the shadow of the wall Flagship project A house stands near the US-Mexico fence on the outskirts of Tijuana. Last month, the US authorities posted a call for proposals to expand existing walls along the Mexican border. The US president Donald Trump talked about building a wall several times during his election campaign. This project is being seen as Trump’s flagship anti-immigration project.

Life in the shadow of the wall Eye-watering costs The roof of a house made with an advertisement banner is seen next to the fence, extension of which may cost between $12 billion (11.3 billion euros) and $15 billion.

Life in the shadow of the wall Not easy to cross This shack standing next to the US-Mexico fence may look as if it can be climbed easily, but the proposed wall is going to be harder to cross. Because according to the tender, the wall should not be scalable, even using sophisticated climbing aids, and should be sunk at least six feet into the ground to avoid tunneling.

Life in the shadow of the wall Two different kinds of wall A girl runs outside her home near the US-Mexico fence, which was made of corrugated metal. However, the proposed wall will be of two different kinds of material - solid concrete and a transparent one. Author: Zahidul Haque



mkg/msh (Reuters, AFP, AP)