He also pressured an agency to give a wall contract to a donor to one of his top GOP allies in Congress.
Behind the populist nationalism, there's always corruption.
New piece:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
In making this pushback, officials have *admitted* that Trump said this.
Such a "joke" leaves his underlings in the position of potentially interpreting it as a real directive:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDEE3uTXYAQtrek.png)
But don't overlook this important point about Trump pressuring an agency to grant a wall contract to a politically-connected donor:
washingtonpost.com/immigration/ta…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDEFzYJWkAE4t-1.jpg)
When Bannon hated on the "administrative state," he meant bureaucrats who would impede giving contracts to cronies to build the wall shutting out migrants faster.
(cc @HeerJeet)
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDELCmUXoAEl_RV.png)
Trump has been pressuring agencies to give a wall contract to a GOP donor after that donor spent time on Fox, vowing to get the wall built fast.
This donor was speaking directly to Trump's brain stem:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDEV1CeWkAYyooR.png)
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDEV1B_X4AEGkyI.png)
The last time Trump dangled a pardon to a top official, after pressing him to break the law on the border, officials said it was a joke, too:
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EDE0MV0WsAEEf1s.png)