Is Trump’s Great Wall ever going to get built?

President Trump is reportedly OK with sacrificing border wall funding – for now – if it prevents a government shutdown this week. But we wonder: Is this a tactical retreat on a key campaign promise, or the start of a gradual distancing from what was probably more of a political symbol than a practical solution?

Illegal border crossings from Mexico are already down dramatically this year. Fear of capture is a big factor. You may have noted too that Trump is taking credit for that drop. As Builder-in-Chief, he may want a border wall. But Trump the Pragmatist may not need it. If after four years, illegal immigration is down – without spending $4.1 billion on a new wall – will American voters really care how he delivered on that promise?