During a press conference with the Prime Minister of Iraq, Trump lied to the press and claimed he was always against the "We Build The Wall" fraud led by one of his top supporters and political advisors Steve Bannon.
When asked to comment about the arrest, Trump immediately claimed that he did not support the whole idea of privately funding the construction of a border wall.
"I know nothing about the project other than I didn't like when I read about it, I didn't like it," he told reporters. "I said this is for government - this isn't for private people and it sounded like showboating and I think I let my opinion be very strongly stated at the time. I didn't like it- it was show boating and maybe looking for funds."
Trump was distraught about Steve Bannon, saying it was a very sad thing that happened to Bannon. To Bannon? Trump totally ignored the thousands of people that were swindled by the fraud they allegedly perpetrated, even if their racism was cynically played for fun and profit.
In January of 2019, Trump's phony voter fraud czar and overall scumbag Kris Kobach said Trump had given his seal of approval to the project.
Laura Ingraham pimped it on Fox News and everyone agreed it was a wonderful way to jumpstart the wall. Erik Prince even crowed to Mehdi Hasan that in the end, Mexico would have to pay for it.
"the last chapter...is not done yet...mark my words"
Erik Prince, in his now-infamous @AJheadtohead interview with me last year, defended both the We Build The Wall fundraising project that he's involved in & Brian Kolfage, who was arrested today alongside Steve Bannon.
Watch: pic.twitter.com/cd5FMMXKcL— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 20, 2020
In 2018, Trump Junior was ecstatic about the project and praised now-indicted conspirator who was also indicted:
Donald Trump Jr. two years ago on the We Build The Wall group whose donors Steve Bannon was charged today with defrauding:
“showing really what capitalism is all about. this is private enterprise at its finest” https://t.co/ah9BLMr1L3— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) August 20, 2020
Another reporter questioned Trump's hiring ethics, reciting all his campaign officials who have been indicted and arrested. Trump just deflected with his usual lie about Obama spying on his campaign before moving on.
Karoli adds:
He's moving on because he knows his close advisors Erik Prince, Kris Kobach, Don Junior and more created this scam as a way to skim some federal government bucks off the top of the larger contract.
Read this thread for more. There are some inaccuracies in it, especially the part where she suggests that the $25 million went to 4 miles of wall. It clearly didn't. But the linkages to government contracts tell the tale.
