Texans to Trump: Forget About the Wall

President Donald Trump's visit to Texas for a photo op at the southern border reminds us that the politics of the wall in Texas, a state that reelected Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, by less than 3 points and flipped 2 House seats from Republican to Democratic, is not what Republicans would have you believe.A Quinnipiac University poll conducted in July showed Texas voters opposed building a wall by a margin of 51-to-45 percent; independents opposed the wall by a nine-point margin. Meanwhile, in an April Quinnipiac poll Texans signaled they wanted more border patrols 60 percent to 37 percent.Rep. Will Hurd, R-San Antonio, the member of Congress with the largest stretch of border in his district, strongly opposes the wall. ("I think building a concrete structure sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security," he said recently.)In 2017, he told the Atlantic, "Property rights are important to all Americans - especially Texans - and most of the property along our border has been privately held for generation." He continued, "Many Texans I speak to think there are better ways to achieve border security without taking their lands, so you can expect a lengthy and expensive fight from these folks." (Hurd escaped the blue wave in the 2018 midterms by only 926 votes.)  Continue reading...