Trump wants the military to build his border wall — and he's already talked to Mattis about it

Congress apportioned much less money for President Donald Trump's border wall than he desires.
In response, Trump is now looking to the Pentagon to pay for the wall.
Such a move requires legislative approval that is not likely to be forthcoming.

Stymied by the lack of funding for his promised US-Mexico border wall in the latest spending bill, President Donald Trump now wants the military to pay for the barrier.

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that Trump has spoken with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis about using military funds for the wall's construction.

The $1.3 trillion spending bill, which Trump ruefully signed last week, only included $1.6 billion for fencing and levees on the border and just $641 million for new primary fencing in areas that do not currently have barriers. The bill also limits that money to "operationally effective designs" that were already in the field by May 2017.

That amount is well short of the $25 billion in long-term funding Trump was pursuing in negotiations with Democrats (offering three years of protections for young immigrants in the country under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program), and that stipulation means the prototype walls Trump has reviewed cannot be used.

Trump — upset about potential disappointment among his supporters and invoking "national security" — is now reportedly eyeing the $700 billion allotted for the Pentagon, The Washington Post first reported, a sum he touted as "historic," to provide funding for the wall. Two advisers told The Post that Trump's comment in a recent tweet, "Build WALL through M!" referred to the military.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not explicitly deny the report when asked about it, saying only the Trump administration was continuing to work on it.

After broaching the idea to advisers, Trump told House Speaker Paul Ryan that military should provide funding, three people familiar with the meeting told The Post. Ryan reportedly offered little response.

Senior officials in Congress told The Post such a move was unlikely, and a senior official at the Pentagon said redirecting money from the 2018 budget would have to be done by lawmakers. Setting aside money in the 2019 budget would require Trump to offer a budget amendment — which would still need 60 votes to pass the Senate.

Trump has also suggested to Mattis that the Pentagon pay for the wall rather than the Homeland Security Department.

Mattis has sought to distance himself from contentious issues, chief among them the border wall, that have wounded US relations with its southern neighbor.

During a September trip to Mexico, Mattis emphasized that US-Mexican military ties were strong and that the two countries shared common concerns.

"We have shared security concerns. There's partnerships, military-to-military exchanges, that are based on trust and respect. I'm going down to build the trust and show the respect on their Independence Day," Mattis said at the time. "

When asked about his role in the border-wall issue, Mattis said the US military had no role in enforcing the border.