# Why isn't Biden/Harris hitting Trump about the wall and Mexico paying for it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 13, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874 "2020-10-13T15:00:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/1 "2020-10-13T15:00:07Z")
Maybe I have missed something in the two debates or campaign talking points, but why isn’t Biden/Harris hitting Trump about his wall and Mexico paying for it? That was a never ending campaign promise in '16. The wall isn’t nearly complete and Mexico never wrote us a check, so why isn’t that the response every time Trump makes a new crazy announcement? I am trying to see the downside for the Biden campaign on the issue, but I can’t come up with anything. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/2 "2020-10-13T15:03:16Z")
Simple. Keep the focus on that which all judge him a failure on including many of the right. Don’t facilitate changing the focus to immigration which fewer or none of his base have parted ways with him over and which might activate them. ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/3 "2020-10-13T15:05:39Z")
Good call. There were a number of times in both debates when I thought a good response would have been, “Yeah, just like the wall? Where is Mexico’s check again?”, but in the larger context of the Covid failures, it probably hurts more than it helps. Thanks for the explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/4 "2020-10-13T15:07:21Z")
Probably because, in the whirlwind of chaos that is the Trump presidency, Mexico and the wall feels like 10 years ago by now. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/5 "2020-10-13T16:27:02Z")
It’s been my understanding that there’s been enough “progress” on the wall over the years that anybody who buys the Trump hype will claim that it’s been done, and they’ve seen pictures and news articles. (Even if those pictures are of preexisting wall and/or new papier-mâché facades that have already melted in the rain.) And everybody else recognizes the wall talk as just another nothingburger lie on the pile. Thus talking about the wall is feeding the base (for both sides); an intelligent goal for the debate would be to try to reach the centrists and the sane conservatives. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/6 "2020-10-13T20:04:13Z")
I forgot all about the wall. Probably the biggest campaign promise failure ever. Only because it was the most stupid campaign promise ever. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/7 "2020-10-13T20:10:04Z")
It’d be better as a quip. They announce some grand policy proclamation, and the response is, “Just like that wall, right?” Or they announce some economic policy, to which the Dems retort, “Gonna get Mexico to pay for it?” No reason not to make fun of them for the promises that they never intended to keep, but to actually make the serious accusation just invites diving down the rabbit hole of lies, excuses, and whataboutisms. ---
**Author:** ![Kimera757](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kimera757/32/3765_2.png) [@Kimera757](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimera757)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/8 "2020-10-13T20:18:38Z")
Trump will blame the Democrats for his inability to build the wall. Right now the Democrats are saying less than is typical in an election because they’re letting Trump blow himself up. I think the Democrats might be holding their breath trying not to “jinx” the election. Look at some of the things that came up that could have blown up in their faces: Protests (or as Trump would call them, riots). That is very easy to mess up. Fortunately Trump blew himself up on this one. RBG passing away, and the Republicans throwing decorum to the wind in their efforts to get a replacement in before the election. This potentially brings up abortion as an election issue, and there are many single issue voters. In other words, Democrats must tread lightly on this very important issue (that they’re going to lose anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/9 "2020-10-13T21:34:30Z")
The other day I heard Trump talking about getting China to pay for the medication to fight the China virus and that this medication (like the stuff Trump got) would be made available to all Americans. 150 million doses or something. So yeah, the Mexico paying for the wall thing is still relevant. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/10 "2020-10-13T21:55:39Z")
> [@mjmartin](#): > > That was a never ending campaign promise in '16. The wall isn’t nearly complete and Mexico never wrote us a check, so why isn’t that the response every time Trump makes a new crazy announcement? I think mostly it’s because everybody (coherent) knew that it was con man bullshit from the get go, and that there are more serious reasons to put an end to this con. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are drive-by type criticisms, like fly-on-the-head stuff, but Trump needs his head shoved up his ass over his covid failure, among other issues. (Whaddya mean his head is already up his ass?? OK, then push it all the way through and the next Trump we see could be walking around inside out.) ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/11 "2020-10-13T22:50:10Z")
I have actually seen a response to this, albeit not from Trump or anybody around him: “Mexico is paying for the wall with the money we’re no longer giving them after we renegotiated NAFTA.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/12 "2020-10-14T00:47:12Z")
The problem is that if Biden condemns Trump for failing to build the wall, it implies the wall was something that should have been built. It’s too much of a mixed message to condemn Trump for having a bad idea while also condemning him for failing to follow through on it. There are plenty of clearer issues; failure to lead in the Covid crisis, ignoring the Russian bounties on American troops, supporting racism, personal corruption, incoherent foreign policy, massive amounts of lying, and a long list of sexual offenses. Hit him on those issues. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/13 "2020-10-14T12:44:59Z")
And any way you look at that, means that American consumers are paying more for products that they used to get cheaper from Mexico. So, that just means that Americans are paying for the wall. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/14 "2020-10-14T12:58:03Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > So, that just means that Americans are paying for the wall. Yeah, but nevertheless, the NAFTA thing does seem to be the current talking point. The latest pro-Trump Facebook rant I saw even said, “What, did you think the President meant Mexico was going to write us a big check or something? That was never the plan!” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/15 "2020-10-14T13:21:21Z")
Yeah, but he’s a liar. > **[PolitiFact - Trump says he didn't say Mexico would write US a check for...](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2019/jan/10/donald-trump/trump-claims-he-never-meant-mexico-would-write-che/)** > > As his border wall fight with Democrats continues, President Donald Trump finds himself in the awkward position of havin > [@](#): > > In [an April 2016 memo](https://assets.donaldjtrump.com/Pay_for_the_Wall.pdf), Trump’s campaign outlined the steps he could take to get Mexico to pay for the wall. > > “It’s an easy decision for Mexico: make a one-time payment of $5-10 billion to ensure that $24 billion continues to flow into their country year after year,” ---
**Author:** ![Monocracy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monocracy/32/4493_2.png) [@Monocracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monocracy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/16 "2020-10-14T14:07:45Z")
I didn’t want to start a new thread, but I had an observation that is similar to this topic. Does it seem that the Trump Campaign has been silent on immigration issues this election cycle? I don’t see a lot of talk about the wall, bad hombres, caravans, etc. like we did in 2018. He seems to be focused on antifa, BLM, and rioting instead. Does he have some grand electoral strategy that is going to shock us on Nov 4, like we were shocked by the Rust Belt strategy in 2016? Or is he just trying to save Florida, giving him a small chance to eek out an electoral win? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/17 "2020-10-14T14:30:30Z")
> [@Monocracy](#): > > Does it seem that the Trump Campaign has been silent on immigration issues this election cycle? There’s been a lot of talk recently about the Hispanic vote being luke warm for Biden. I don’t think the Trump campaign wants to do anything to change that. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/18 "2020-10-14T15:20:32Z")
What would be the point of hitting Trump on a four-year-old dead issue? How many voters that plan to vote for Trump or are undecided do you think would change their mind on the basis of that, and how many Biden voters would that motivate to go out and vote instead of staying home? There are much better things to hit Trump on than an issue that he’s already made a narrative that he ‘won’ on. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/19 "2020-10-15T17:17:13Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > So yeah, the Mexico paying for the wall thing is still relevant Trump apparently thinks so: > Moments after he claimed at the Monday rally that Mexico is paying for the wall, Trump said, “We’re putting a border tax on for cars and trucks that go across. It’ll much more than pay for our wall. Starting soon.” He said the same at the Tuesday rally: “You know, we’re putting a charge on where the cars go through. And it’ll more than pay for the wall.” > > He made [similar comments](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-usa/mexicans-slam-trumps-idea-to-tax-border-crossing-cars-to-fund-wall-idUSKCN25F2VQ) in August – but the experts we contacted on Tuesday said they still did not know what Trump was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874/20 "2020-10-21T21:42:15Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > but the experts we contacted on Tuesday said they still did not know what Trump was talking about. … Neither does Trump. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-biden-harris-hitting-trump-about-the-wall-and-mexico-paying-for-it/922874.md?page=2)