President Donald Trump is planning to divert an additional $7.2 billion from the Department of Defense in order to fund his wall along the southern border with Mexico, The Washington Post reported Monday.
The Post obtained internal figures showing the White House plans. If they go forward, it would be the second time the president has ordered that funds allocated to the Pentagon by Congress be diverted for wall construction, effectively bypassing lawmakers in an attempt to unilaterally deliver on a campaign promise. Trump has vowed to build 450 miles of new wall by the end of 2020 in hopes of galvanizing his political base before the next election.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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