May 24, 2019 - Economy

Trump pushes for border wall contract with GOP donor

Rashaan Ayesh

President Trump allegedly pushed for North Dakota-based Fisher Industries — whose CEO Tommy Fisher donates to the GOP and regularly appears on Fox News — to be awarded a border wall contract, administration officials told the Washington Post.

Why it matters: Trump personally filed the request on multiple occasions, alarming Department of Homeland Security officials and military personnel, particularly because the contract is worth billions of dollars, the Post reports. Trump adopted Fisher's idea that a steel design could speed up the completion of the project and lessen the cost burden to taxpayers

Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner also advocated for Fisher, and questioned officials about why they weren't selected.

The context: Per the Post, the company sued the U.S. government last month after the Army Corps refused to accept its bid to install barriers along the southern border. Still, "Fisher already has started building a section of fencing in Sunland Park, N.M," per the Post.

Go deeper: Trump's hardline new border plan

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Trump pushes for border wall contract with GOP donor

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