Politics

Trump Proposed Solar Panel Covered Border Wall

Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images.

Alex Pfeiffer White House Correspondent
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President Donald Trump proposed a border wall covered with solar panels in a meeting Tuesday with congressional leaders.

A person familiar with the meeting told The Daily Caller that the president made the comments during a meeting with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn. The comments were first reported by Politico.

An Axios report cited multiple sources that quoted Trump as saying the wall would be “beautiful” with the solar panels and around 40 feet to 50 feet high. Trump believes the solar panels could help pay for the cost of the wall, according to the article.

This would be a departure from what the Customs and Border Patrol has listed as requirements for the wall. A document describing what the potential southern border wall would be like states that it should be 30-feet high, and be able to withstand an hour of people attempting to breach a foot wide hole using a sledgehammer. The Axios report said a source claimed that the wall wasn’t a definite solution.

A spokesman for one of the congressional leaders said that the meeting focused on the legislative agenda, specifically repealing and replacing Obamacare and passing tax reform.