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‘He’s Finally Building The Wall’: Journalists Taunt Trump Over Barriers Around White House

By Tommy ChristopherJun 4th, 2020, 12:49 pm

Journalists from outlets like CNN and The New York Times were joined by other prominent Twitter users who taunted President Donald Trump over new barriers that are being installed at the White House in response to unrest over the police killing of George Floyd.

After protests briefly forced Trump into the Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) last week — for what Trump now claims was an “inspection” — tall fences were installed around Lafayette Park across from the White House.

But on Thursday, photos and videos emerged featuring more fencing and concrete barriers being erected around the White House, which drew similar observations from journalists and others about Trump’s signature campaign promise.

CNN’s Betsy Klein posted video of the barriers going up Thursday morning.

Klein also posted photos of additional concrete barriers being depoyed around The People’s House.

“Trump began his term promising to build a wall to protect America from the world,” wrote NYT’s Nick Confessore. “He ends it building a wall to protect himself from Americans.”

CNN International correspondent and weekend anchor Michael Holmes similarly noted “Not sure ‘Build that Wall’ meant this.”

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes, host of the news commentary program All In with Chris Hayes, taunted “He’s finally building the wall”.

The quips are a reference to Trump’s signature campaign promise to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, and to force Mexico to pay for it — neither of which he has accomplished.

Apparently, a lot of Twitter blue checks — journalists and others — thought of variations on the same joke.

The New York Times‘ Peter Baker was more sober, saying the barrier added to the “sense of a fortress White House.”

Watch the video above via CNN.

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