Trump administration revives plan to paint border wall black

• "That is specifically at the request of the president. When something is painted black, it gets even warmer, making it even harder for people to climb," she said.
• "We had an incredible amount of resources allocated to us in the 'big, beautiful bill,' because that's going to allow us to continue construction," Noem added.
• "Construction right now is at the pace of a little bit less than a half a mile a day. And the border wall will look very different based on the topography and the geography of where it is built."

Of note: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act will enable the Trump administration to "finish the border wall system started under President Trump's first term," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Tuesday evening.

• "Due to an active procurement process to finish the wall it would be irresponsible to the American taxpayer to release the numbers as it may impact future bids," the spokesperson added in the emailed statement.

Flashback: Reports first emerged of Trump's plans to paint the border wall black during his first administration. Officials announced they were testing a black coating along certain sections in 2020.

More from Axios:

• U.S. deploys AI in "virtual border wall"
• Trump calls federal judge's decision on border wall "major, crucial WIN"
• Watchdog: Trump's border wall damaged cultural and natural resources

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.