Trump defends border wall construction record.

Trump and CNN Moderator Clash Over Border Wall

Former President Donald Trump faced off with CNN moderator Kaitlin Collins during a town hall event on Wednesday night. The two sparred over the facts related to how much of the U.S.-Mexico border wall was built during Trump’s administration. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, the Trump administration had built 458 miles of new primary and secondary border wall as of January 2021. This included replacing “dilapidated and outdated” sections and locations where “no barriers previously existed.”

Splitting Hairs Over the Definition of “New”

Collins, who throughout the night had been interjecting with contradictions to Trump’s remarks, kept insisting that his administration only built around 52 miles of border wall. In fact, 52 miles of new primary wall were constructed “in locations where no barriers previously existed,” according to CBP. However, 351 miles of new primary wall were also built “in place of dilapidated and/or outdated designs.”

Collins, who appeared not to want to concede this point, insisted that meant the former president couldn’t claim that “hundreds of miles” were built. The CBP figures reveal the argument to be splitting hairs, leaving the audience and pundits to choose who they think was right based on how they define the word “new” in the context of rebuilding segments of dilapidated “walls” that border crossers, as Trump pointed out, could simply step over.

Trump Touts Success in Building “Hundreds of Miles” of Border Wall

Speaking about the U.S. border crisis, Trump highlighted his success in building “hundreds of miles” of border wall. According to FactCheck.org, “the Trump administration has built hundreds of miles of border fencing, more than under any other president in American history.” The organization stated in a 2020 article that most of the wall constructed at that time was replacing existing barriers not fit for purpose.

• The campaign event covered a broad range of topics.
• At times, the audience seemed to express their amusement and frustration with Collins’s handling of the interview.
• The pair had some heated exchanges as they disagreed on certain topics, such as the classified documents discovered at the homes and offices of Trump, President Joe Biden, and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The event was held at St. Amselm College in New Hampshire and was the first major televised event of Trump’s 2024 campaign. The former Republican president took questions from Collins and an audience of Republicans and undeclared voters who intend to vote in the GOP primary. A frequent critic of the network, Trump said on Truth Social a day earlier that the interview may usher in a “new and vibrant CNN, with no more fake news, or it could turn into a disaster for all, including me.”