Donald Trump is determined to get some of his border wall built before the 2020 election and, according to Nick Mirhoff and Josh Dawsey of the Washington Post, he is prepared to illegally seize land from private citizens and disregard environmental laws.
When aides have suggested that some orders are illegal or unworkable, Trump has suggested he would pardon the officials if they would just go ahead, aides said. He has waved off worries about contracting procedures and the use of eminent domain, saying “take the land,” according to officials who attended the meetings.
“Don’t worry, I’ll pardon you,” he has told officials in meetings about the wall.
Asked for comment, a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Trump is joking when he makes such statements about pardons.