Trump Contradicts Outgoing Chief of Staff, Says Concrete Wall Not Abandoned

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump contradicted his outgoing Chief of Staff John Kelly on Monday, insisting that his administration has not yet abandoned the idea of building a concrete wall along the US-Mexico border.

"An all concrete Wall was NEVER ABANDONED, as has been reported by the media. Some areas will be all concrete but the experts at Border Patrol prefer a Wall that is see through (thereby making it possible to see what is happening on both sides). Makes sense to me!" Trump said in a Twitter message.

In an interview with The Los Angeles Times on Sunday, Kelly said that in the early days of the administration, Trump gave up on the idea of building a concrete wall. Kelly said the administration made the decision after border patrol personnel said they would prefer a physical barrier in some places, and only enhanced technology and additional staff in others.

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In recent weeks, the White House has started to use the phrase "steel slats" interchangeably with "wall" when referring to a barrier between the United States and Mexico.

The US government has been in a partial shutdown since December 22 due to Trump's demand that funding legislation include money for a border wall.