President-elect Donald Trump has filed a legal motion requesting an immediate halt to the Biden administration's alleged sale of unused border wall materials, which was originally reported by conservative outlet Daily Wire a few days ago, infuriating Republican politicians like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Dan Crenshaw. Trump's legal team alleges these sales could constitute deliberate obstruction of his policy goals, describing them as "acts of sabotage."
Nevertheless, as The Hill reports, "the article's claims conflict with language from last year's defense policy bill," as Congress mandated the disposal of surplus wall materials in the fiscal 2024 defense policy bill, prioritizing their use for border-related projects or donating them to states for refurbishing existing barriers.
The Biden administration has defended the sales, stating that they align with the law's requirements and that most materials have already been distributed or sold.
The materials in question include surplus items auctioned by GovPlanet, a private company handling government surplus. Trump's legal filing argues that these sales violate a prior court ruling, which compelled the Biden administration to use unspent funds for border construction. As Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement reported by The Hill:
"Today, President Trump has filed an amicus brief in the Southern District of Texas requesting that a highly respected federal judge immediately stop the Biden Administration's reported 'fire sale' of border wall materials at rock-bottom prices and order an investigation. Any attempt by Biden officials to obstruct President Trump's plan to build the Border Wall is unlawful, unconstitutional, and possibly criminal, as our brief argues"
Republicans in Congress have criticized the sales, calling for transparency regarding the materials' disposal. Senators, including Tom Cotton and Bill Hagerty, have demanded a full accounting of the transactions and documentation of buyers, arguing that the sale of materials at discounted prices wastes taxpayer money and undermines border security initiatives.
The issue even prompted Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick to anticipate during an interview on Fox News back on December 12 that he would seek to turn the situation around in favor of Republicans:
"So I'm going to find out first thing in the morning, where are we going to take the bid. I've got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it. I write the budget with Senator Joan Huffman. We have the money. We're going to have about six billion in our budget for border security. We'll buy it."
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