Not Just Another Brick in the Trump Wall

US President Donald Trump may have finally found a way to fund his US-Mexican wall initiative, and Congress is already considering legal action. Although Trump’s original $5.7 billion project was rejected outright, Congress did offer him $1.4 billion to build the Trump wall. The agreement came just in time to dissolve the threat of a second partial government shutdown, which would have left over 42,000 federal employees of numerous agencies on hold.

“I can’t say I’m happy, I can’t say I’m thrilled… I don’t think you’re going to see a shutdown.”

President Donald Trump

Trump’s solution to the rejected proposal was a simple one. Declare the US-Mexico border a national emergency. No president in the history of the US has ever set such a risky precedent. This controversial strategy has allowed Trump to circumvent Congressional approval, as inciting the emergency powers act gives Trump fast-acting executive decision.

To put this into perspective, in 1979, beloved President Jimmy Carter announced a national emergency in response to the Iran hostage crisis. In 1996, President Bill Clinton declared a national emergency after civilian planes were shot down near Cuba. In 2001, President George W. Bush declared a national emergency in response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In 2014, former President Barack Obama declared a national emergency in response to the Russian invasion of Crimea. And now, 2019, President Donald Trump has declared an emergency that started as a prevention of the “immigrant invasion” and has now evolved into the threat of illegal drugs crossing the border. This change of angle has empowered Trump to increase USD expenditure to a staggering 8 billion from various government funds:

• $600 million –  Drug Forfeiture Fund (Treasury Department)
• $2.5 billion – Drug Interdiction Program (Defense Department)
• $3.5 billion  – Military Construction Budget (Defense Department)
• $1.375 billion  – Appropriations Bill (Homeland Security)

Invoking a national emergency allows Trump to activate special powers to better handle a crisis with haste. Congress can nullify a declared state of emergency with a veto-proof majority vote, or a  joint resolution and the President’s signature, and early signs of intervention are already surfacing. Acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, has been quoted to say that Trump would “absolutely veto” any legislative attempt to block his national emergency declaration. Democrats are taking Trump’s latest actions very seriously and will likely not back down.

“If the president can declare an emergency, on something that he has created as an emergency, an illusion that he wants to convey, just think of what a president with different values can present to the American people.”

Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the United States House of Representatives

The Trump administration stands firm that such a costly appropriation of funds is urgent and necessary, but there are some disturbing details in the Trump wall initiative that don’t seem to support the end goal of border protection.

The truth about the Trump wall

Instead of pumping money into schools, healthcare, renewable energy, or housing, Trump wants to build something that will be a lasting legacy attached to his presidency. Like Trump’s failed Taj Mahal and the iconic Trump Tower, bricks and mortar have always been a point of interest for this real estate developer turned political leader. “Build the wall” was his main selling point throughout his first election campaign back in 2016, which effectively spoke to the masses living on (or close to) the poverty line. It worked, and he’s going to use it again in 2020 with his “Finish the wall” slogan. Will the Trump wall be an impenetrable blockade similar to a correctional facility or military base? Will the cost be justified? Unlikely on both counts! The reality of this project is baffling to many who are familiar with the current border conditions, but no surprise for those who are familiar with Trump’s track record.

The Mexican–US border extends for over 3,000 kilometers. While the most popular traffic points have manned checkpoints, the vast majority of the border is far from secure. Hundreds of kilometers are barely patrolled and “invaders” are usually faced with nothing more than a cattle farm fence to deter them. What does Trump think will change?

A hop, skip, and a jump. Welcome to America.

For many people, it seems clear that the Trump wall is not a solution. A five-meter high concrete wall with razor wire and motion sensors stretching all the way from East to West could have been an effective deterrent, but that’s not even close to what is planned.

Last year over 50,000 people were apprehended while trying to cross the border at the weakest points. The so far proposed 90 kilometers will likely not change that. Furthermore, compare that with the 320,000 immigrants who illegally extended their welcome in 2016. Is the Trump wall nothing more than a 2020 election tool? Moreover, if Trump’s past projects are anything to go by, it’s going to cost America a lot more in the coming years.

“We’ll be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security.”

Donald Trump

Crumbling wall or crumbling USD

Remember, market sentiment drives prices too, and if the world feels that America is taking a bad path, it will eventually be reflected in global trading volumes, and consequently the price of USD. The Trump wall alone might not be enough to make a deep and lasting effect on USD prices, but a nation’s leader spending billions on an initiative that gives very little in return could damage USD in the long run. For now, a trader’s best strategy is to trade Trump’s fundamental footprint, or avoid USD entirely.

Never traded before? If you’re ready to take a more active role in your financial future, online trading offers access to the largest global marketof all time. You can devote as much or as little time to trading as you please, and you can set your financial goals however you see fit. Best of all, an Exness demo account will help you gain experience and insight without putting any of your equity at risk.

Join the online trading community today

SET UP AN EXNESS ACCOUNT HERE

Your 4-step guide to opening a trading account

Step 1: Getting registered

It’s very easy to open an account with Exness. Click here to open the sign-up page in a new tab. If you want to get everything done in the next 10 minutes, be sure to have a credit card, ID, and, proof of address by your side. You can choose to open a demo account without these things. Either way, everything you need to know is here in this two-minute video. Pause the video as you go through the first three steps.

Tip: Account type depends on the amount you wish to deposit. Leverage is effectively an interest-free loan that the broker offers. It allows you to make a large investment from a small deposit. If you are looking for high profit with high risk, a higher leverage might be right for you. If you prefer slow-burning safety with lower results, then keep your leverage low. You can never lose more than you have, but higher leverage means faster results… both good and bad.

Step 2: Prove who you are

Exness takes security very seriously, and they check every client signing up. Just like opening a bank account, you’ll need to prove who you are before getting access to the global markets. Watch this one-minute video to see how.

Tip: While you’re waiting for your real account to be approved, open up a demo account and start getting to know the trading platform.

Step 3: how to get access to the market

Trades are made using the award-winning MT4 trading platform. Inside the box of the demo or real account you’ll see a gear cog. Click the gear cog to make a deposit. Use the passwords provided in the email. Click the gear cog again and select SIGN IN TO MT4 WEBTERMINAL then follow this one-minute video. You’re about to make your first virtual trade on the real markets.

Step 4: making a trade

As a default, the top currency pair on the list will have an open chart. Right click on the chart and select the “close” option.

As a professional trader, selecting the right pair requires some research. For a first-time test, any pair will be sufficient. Drag a pair from the list of currencies on the left side of the trading terminal. The old saying goes, “what goes up, must come down.” Obviously, this principle goes the other way too. Your mission is to find a moment when the price direction is going to swing or reverse. If you feel the price is about to go up (bullish), then BUY, if it looks like it’s been trading high and the price has started a downward (bearish) trend, then SELL.

Open a trade

There are many ways to open your trade. You can select from the buy and sell options on the top left of the chart. Preferably, double-click the currency pair on the list. Right click on the chart when you’re ready to make your first trade. Time to set the volume depending on how confident you are in the direction you are forecasting. This is the perfect time to set your stop loss and take profit. Click the arrow to the right of the stop loss and take profit prices.

Note how the blue and dark red lines in the popup graph sit above and below the buy(ask) and sell(bid) price. In the example, we traded long (buy) and got a message confirming the order was successful. If you get an error, your volume was too high for your balance, or your stop loss/take profit was too close to the spread. Remember, every order starts as a negative because of the spread. Be patient. Your take profit will activate when the time is right, and your stop loss is protecting you. To close an order, you have three options. Click the X on the right or right-click the order. If you double click the order, you can close or modify the order.

Congratulations!

You now know how to make a trade. Forex trading can be an exciting way to spend your free time, and you’ll actually learn some real-world skills that will serve you well throughout your lifetime. Be patient, learn, and who knows, you might one day be one of the lucky few full-time traders. How will you spend your day?

Didn’t start yet?

SET UP AN EXNESS ACCOUNT HERE

This article is a marketing communication and does not constitute investment advice or research. Its content represents the general views of our experts and does not consider individual readers’ personal circumstances, investment experience, or current financial situation.

This article is not prepared in accordance with legal requirements promoting independent investment research, and Exness is not subject to any prohibition on dealing before the release of the article. Readers should consider the possibility that they may incur losses. Therefore, Exness is not liable for any losses incurred due to the use of its articles. Please note that past performance of an asset is not a reliable indicator of future results.