Congressional Republicans are hedging on whether they'll support building the border wall, suggesting it may turn out to be some combination of wall, fencing, and "invisible fence" technology. | AP Photo Congress Trump's border wall may be collapsing Many congressional Republicans favor a simpler idea — abandon the idea of building a massive wall and focus instead on other ways to increase border security.

President-elect Donald Trump's “big, beautiful” wall along the U.S.-Mexico border may be starting to crumble.

Three days after Trump, in an appearance on “60 Minutes,” indicated he might build a fence instead (though in “certain areas, a wall is more appropriate”), congressional Republicans are hedging on whether they’ll support building the border wall, suggesting it may turn out to be some combination of wall, fencing, and “invisible fence” technology such as patrolling by drones.


And surrogates for Trump have been suggesting that the wall might end up being more of a metaphor for enhancing border security than an actual bricks-and-mortar barrier.

Utah’s Orrin Hatch, the most senior GOP senator, said Trump was “serious about having a way of keeping people out who shouldn’t be in our country,” but that the idea of a wall would have to be “re-evaluated."

“I think the best way to say it is, do whatever it takes to secure the border,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) told POLITICO.

The Trump transition team did not answer a request for comment.

Trump called for a wall across roughly half the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border during his presidential campaign (the other half, he said, would be protected by “natural barriers”). But Trump has said the wall could cost as much as $12 billion, and others put the price tag well above that.

Last week, Trump ally Newt Gingrich said the president-elect's pledge to get Mexico to pay for the border wall was a mere “campaign device.” The former House speaker might not have been speaking for Trump by suggesting Mexico would never pay for the wall, but few believe it ever would.

And Dr. Ben Carson, Trump’s former primary-rival-turned-surrogate, told conservatives on a conference call this week that what Trump “really wants to do is secure the border,” The Wall Street Journal reported. He added: “You can rest assured that those principles will be followed, but it may not necessarily be the exact letter.”

Trump immigration adviser Kris Kobach told Reuters on Tuesday that the administration could reallocate funds from the Department of Homeland Security budget and apply them to construction of the wall, a move that would bypass Congress and get the project off to a quick start. But continued construction would require congressional appropriations in future years.

Many congressional Republicans favor a simpler idea: abandon the idea of building a massive wall and focus instead on other ways to increase border security.



“I think you’re going to find some areas where a wall would never work, and I think everybody’s always understood that,” said Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota. “In other areas, it might be something like a fence. But in all cases, what we’re talking about is securing the southern border.” Part of the challenge, Rounds said, will be to figure out the “most modern approach” to border security.

Rep. Pete Sessions, a Republican who represents a district in suburban Dallas, said the wall could be thought of as “an analogy” for fences and drone surveillance. “We’re going to defend our sovereignty and our immigration policy.”

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who feuded with Trump during the campaign season, said he hadn’t followed developments about the wall but that he supports Trump’s plan to deport immigrants who have committed crimes.

“If he deports those with criminal records,” Flake said, “he’ll get no argument from me."