Trump suggested painting border wall black 'so it’s hotter in the sun': Lewandowski

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One of President Trump’s closest political allies claims he suggested painting parts of the existing wall along the U.S. border with Mexico black in an effort to deter illegal immigration.

“He was talking about repainting part of the border wall down in Mexico so it’s hotter in the sun,” said Corey Lewandowski, who managed Trump’s presidential campaign from its launch in 2015 until June of 2016 and who remains a close outside political adviser to the president.

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Lewandowski, who lives in New Hampshire, made his comments Tuesday on "New Hampshire Today with Jack Heath," a news-talk morning radio show.

He was among a group of about 20 Republicans who huddled with Trump at the White House on Monday to discuss themes for the next day's State of the Union Address.

Lewandowski recalled that Trump told the group, “Let’s paint it black. It will be hotter so you can’t climb over the thing.”

The president, according to a report from Politico, told the group that his plan was stymied because it would first require a study of the potential environmental consequences, which he called an example of burdensome government regulations.

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In his Tuesday night State of the Union address, Trump renewed his call for construction to extend the existing border wall. Disagreement with congressional Democrats over the president’s demand for $5.7 billion to build the wall led to a political standoff resulting in the recent 35-day partial federal government shutdown.