A large part of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was based on building a border wall between Mexico and the United States.
But, now it seems that even nature is rejecting it as monsoon rains tore a large portion of the structure down.
In recent days, heavy rains in Southern Arizona have seen some gates on the U.S.-Mexico border wall in the San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge damaged.
According to the science and technology website Gizmodo, the damage caused by heavy flooding was entirely predictable, and there were laws in place to stop such damage from occurring but were ignored.
They explained: “In the rush to build the wall, Trump sidelined environmental and cultural protection laws.
“Those laws are meant to protect the natural world and historically significant artifacts and sites.
“But they also serve the purpose of ensuring multibillion-dollar construction projects don’t face catastrophic failures within a few years of being built.”
While in office, Trump built 452 miles of wall, but by disregarding the rules and advice, it has been catastrophic for the fragile ecosystem and cultural heritage of many areas.
Silver Creek near San Bernardino NWR. Monsoon storm leave gates in disrepair. #BorderWall pic.twitter.com/6F1IkNK8zo
— Kate Scott (@madreanwildlife) August 19, 2021
Arizona representative Raúl Grijalva wrote in a letter to the Government Accountability Office urging for a review into the impact of the wall’s construction, which was granted in June.
Grijalva said: “The laws that the Trump administration waived included critical environmental and public health protections—like the Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, and Clean Air Act—and Native American cultural resource protections.”
He continued, highlighting the irreversible damage done to the ecosystem and flora and fauna that live in it.
He wrote: “They ripped through pristine landscapes like Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, literally bulldozed and blasted sacred Native American sites, and drained the fragile desert ecosystem of vital groundwater resources.
“This careless, lawless action inflicted catastrophic harm on border lands and communities, much of which is irreversible.”
In 2015 during his run for the presidency, Trump told his supporters, “I will build a great wall—and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me—and I’ll build them very inexpensively.” He also claimed he would make Mexico pay for the wall, which he did not.
