Trump Wall That Led to Indictments ‘Orphaned, Functionally Useless’: Report

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A wall built during the Trump administration that led to indictments and convictions of those behind it is now “orphaned, functionally useless,” according to a new report.

The “We Build the Wall” scheme included former Trump senior counselor Steve Bannon exploiting thousands of people into donating more than $15 million toward building an 18-foot private border wall in accordance with former President Donald Trump’s goal of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon, Brian Kolfage, Timothy Shea, and Andrew Badolato were charged in August 2020 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Last April, Kolfage and Badolato pled guilty conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Kolfage also pled guilty to wire fraud and tax charges. Bannon was pardoned by Trump, though he was indicted in September on state charges related to the plot.

According to The New York Times:

Now, the three-mile-long barrier is essentially orphaned, functionally useless — because of a federally constructed border barrier a short distance behind it — and, according to an engineering report commissioned by the Justice Department, at risk of falling over in a major flood and floating away.

And because of its location and construction along the water’s edge, federal officials worry that the fence could end up redirecting the Rio Grande in such a way that the land it sits on would end up as part of Mexico.