God at the Burning bush
’The Sign’
The Persona, the Presidency, and the Promise: An Analysis of Donald Trump's Media Career, the Russia Investigation, and the Border Wall
Introduction: The Persona, the Presidency, and the Promise
This report examines three defining and deeply interconnected pillars of Donald J. Trump's public life and political career: his decades-long cultivation of a media persona, the extensive investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, and the conception and implementation of his signature immigration policy, the U.S.-Mexico border wall. These topics, while distinct, are not disparate. They form a cohesive narrative that explains the rise, the central controversy, and the primary policy objective of his presidency.
The central thesis of this analysis is that Donald Trump's carefully constructed media identity—honed over decades through film cameos, reality television, and relentless self-promotion—was the foundational element of his political brand. This persona, an amalgamation of wealth, celebrity, and decisive authority, proved instrumental in his successful 2016 campaign. It subsequently shaped his administration's response to the existential threat posed by the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference, allowing him to frame a complex legal and counterintelligence matter as a media-driven "witch hunt." Finally, this mastery of narrative provided the rhetorical framework for his most prominent and polarizing policy promise: the construction of a "big, beautiful wall" on the southern border, a project animated by charged language and sustained by its symbolic power, often in defiance of fiscal and logistical realities. By examining these three pillars in concert, this report provides a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of how a media-driven identity was translated into political power and policy.
Part I: From Cameo to Commander-in-Chief: The Making of a Media Persona
Before entering politics, Donald Trump executed a long-term, strategic cultivation of a public persona that conflated celebrity with business acumen. Through a ubiquitous presence in film, television, and other media, he constructed an identity centered on extravagant wealth, unwavering authority, and mainstream fame. This brand, built over nearly three decades, would later form the unshakable bedrock of his political appeal, providing a pre-packaged narrative of success that resonated with a national audience.
The Ubiquitous Businessman: A Career in Cameos
Donald Trump's extensive filmography is notable not for its range, but for its remarkable consistency. Across dozens of appearances in films and television shows, he almost exclusively portrayed a caricatured version of himself, functioning as a living symbol of New York City opulence and capitalist success.1 His roles were rarely integral to the plot; instead, he served as human set dressing, a recognizable shorthand for wealth and power.
This pattern is evident in his most iconic appearances. In the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, he appears for a few seconds in the Plaza Hotel—which he owned at the time—to give the protagonist directions.1 His presence served a dual purpose: it was a moment of celebrity recognition for the audience and a subtle advertisement for his property. This formula was repeated in numerous other productions, including Zoolander (2001), Two Weeks Notice (2002), Sex and the City (1999), and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1994), where his credit was almost always "Himself".1
These appearances were not a diversion from his business interests; they were a core component of his business model. According to actor Matt Damon, Trump often made a cameo role for himself a condition for any production that wished to film on one of his properties, a claim that suggests a deliberate and transactional approach to building his brand.2 This strategy created a powerful self-reinforcing cycle. The cameos solidified his public image as a magnate of immense success, which in turn increased the recognition and value of the Trump brand and his associated properties. This heightened brand value then created more opportunities for media appearances. This was not a hobby or a dalliance with acting but a calculated, long-term public relations campaign. With each appearance, he was building brand equity, making the name "Trump" synonymous with a specific, televised version of success that was later deployed wholesale for his political campaign. For his on-screen work, he received a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor for the 1989 film Ghosts Can't Do It.1
"You're Fired": The Apprentice and the Art of the Brand
While his cameos established his celebrity, it was the reality television show The Apprentice that cemented his image as a decisive, no-nonsense executive in the national consciousness. From 2004 to 2015, Trump served as co-producer and host of the NBC show and its spinoff, The Celebrity Apprentice, in which contestants competed for a management job within his organization.1 The show became a cultural phenomenon, largely due to Trump's commanding presence in the boardroom and his trademarked catchphrase, "You're fired," which came to symbolize ultimate and unquestionable authority.2
The program was a staggering financial success for Trump. While he was paid $50,000 per episode for the first season, the show's popularity drove his fee to a reported $3 million per episode, making him one of the highest-paid personalities on television.2 Tax records reviewed by The New York Times indicated that over the show's run, Trump earned a total of $427 million from direct payments, licensing deals, and other related business ventures.2 His contribution to television was recognized with two Primetime Emmy Award nominations and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.1
More significantly, The Apprentice functioned as a 14-season-long political advertisement. The highly edited, dramatic format presented a specific and appealing version of leadership—one that was entertaining, seemingly efficient, and unburdened by committee or compromise. The show's structure, a competition overseen by a singular, powerful judge whose word was final, provided a clear template for his future political style. His subsequent political career mirrored this structure: allies and rivals were cast in specific roles, interpersonal conflicts were amplified for media consumption, and personnel changes were often announced publicly and dramatically, frequently via social media, to maximize their narrative impact. Through The Apprentice, he demonstrated an ability to be the executive producer of his own story, a skill that would prove invaluable in the political arena.
Table 1: Donald J. Trump Selected Filmography and Television Appearances
Year
Title
Medium
Role
Nature of Appearance
1985
The Jeffersons
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1989
Ghosts Can't Do It
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
1992
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Film
Himself
Cameo, self-portrayal
1994
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1994
The Little Rascals
Film
Waldo Johnston II
Fictional Character
1996
The Nanny
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1996
Eddie
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
1996
The Associate
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
1997
Suddenly Susan
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1997
The Drew Carey Show
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1998
Spin City
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
1998
Celebrity
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
1998
54
Film
VIP Patron
Fictional Character
1999
Sex and the City
Television
Himself
Self-portrayal
2001
Zoolander
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
2002
Two Weeks Notice
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
2004–2015
The Apprentice / The Celebrity Apprentice
Television
Himself
Host / Producer
2005
Days of Our Lives
Television
Himself
Guest star
2007, 2009
WWE Raw
Television
Himself
"Battle of the Billionaires"
2010
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
Film
Himself
Self-portrayal
2015
Saturday Night Live
Television
Himself
Host
1
Part II: The 2016 Election: A Presidency Under a Cloud of Suspicion
The victory of Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election was immediately followed by revelations that would cast a long shadow over his administration. A broad U.S. intelligence and law enforcement consensus emerged that the Russian government had actively interfered in the election. This led to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III, whose subsequent investigation produced a 448-page report that meticulously documented the nature of Russia's attack, the Trump campaign's numerous contacts with Russian-linked individuals, and President Trump's own actions toward the investigation.5
"Sweeping and Systematic": The Mueller Report's Findings on Russian Interference
The foundational conclusion of the Special Counsel's investigation, stated in the opening lines of its report, was that "the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election in sweeping and systematic fashion".5 This interference was not a single act but a multi-pronged assault on the U.S. democratic process, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the goal of undermining public faith in the election and weakening the candidacy of Hillary Clinton.7 The Mueller Report detailed two principal methods of Russian interference.5
The first was a sophisticated social media "information warfare" campaign conducted by the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian "troll farm" with ties to Russian intelligence.5 Beginning as early as 2014, the IRA created thousands of fake social media accounts impersonating Americans to "provoke and amplify political and social discord".11 As the election approached, this effort evolved to explicitly support candidate Trump and disparage Clinton.5 IRA operatives purchased online ads, created fake hashtags like #KidsForTrump, and even organized and promoted real-world political rallies in the United States, including a 2016 rally in Miami that was promoted by Trump himself on his Facebook page.11
The second method involved computer intrusion operations carried out by Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU.5 GRU officers successfully hacked into the computer networks of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and the personal email accounts of senior Clinton campaign officials.7 The stolen documents were then strategically released to the public through GRU-controlled online personas, such as "DCLeaks" and "Guccifer 2.0," and through the organization WikiLeaks, often timed to inflict maximum political damage on the Clinton campaign.5
The effectiveness of this interference campaign lay not in its ability to create new narratives from whole cloth, but in its strategic weaponization of pre-existing social and political divisions within American society. The Russian "active measures" doctrine acted as a catalyst, identifying and amplifying authentic domestic discontent on polarizing issues.7 By targeting both the political right and left—from Black Lives Matter activists to secessionist movements—the campaign's primary goal was to "exacerbate the divisions that already exist" and "further polarize public and political discourse".7 This approach made the foreign influence symbiotic with the hyper-partisan political environment, blurring the lines between domestic discord and a hostile state's intelligence operation.
A Campaign "Receptive" to Help: Investigating Contacts and Coordination
The central question facing the Special Counsel was whether the Trump campaign had criminally conspired with the Russian government in its interference activities. The report's top-line conclusion on this matter was definitive from a legal standpoint: the investigation "did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities".5 The distinction between the colloquial term "collusion" and the high legal bar for "conspiracy"—which requires evidence of an explicit or tacit agreement—is crucial to understanding this finding.6
However, this legal conclusion was accompanied by a more damning factual record. The report found that the Russian government "perceived it would benefit from a Trump presidency and worked to secure that outcome," and, critically, that the Trump campaign "expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts".5 The investigation detailed "numerous links" and "multiple contacts" between campaign officials and individuals with ties to the Russian government, concluding that in some instances, the campaign was "receptive" to offers of assistance.5
Key instances of these contacts include:
The June 9, 2016, Trump Tower Meeting: Senior campaign officials, including Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, and campaign chairman Paul Manafort, met with a Russian lawyer after being promised "derogatory information on Hillary Clinton" that was described as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump".16
George Papadopoulos: The campaign's foreign policy advisor was informed in April 2016 by a London-based professor with Russian government contacts that Moscow had "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails".5 This information was a key catalyst for the opening of the FBI's counterintelligence investigation in July 2016.5
Paul Manafort: The campaign chairman regularly shared internal polling data and campaign strategy with Konstantin Kilimnik, an associate whom the FBI assessed to have ties to Russian intelligence.11
The investigation was hampered by the fact that several Trump associates—including National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, personal lawyer Michael Cohen, and aides George Papadopoulos and Rick Gates—made false statements to federal investigators or Congress about their contacts with Russians.16 Furthermore, the report noted that no campaign official ever reported these contacts with Russian nationals or WikiLeaks to U.S. law enforcement authorities.16 While this pattern of behavior did not meet the legal standard for a criminal conspiracy, it represented a profound departure from traditional political ethics. The campaign's willingness to engage with and encourage assistance from a foreign adversary, treating it as a source of opposition research rather than a national security threat, established a new, lower ethical standard for political conduct.
"It Also Does Not Exonerate Him": The Obstruction of Justice Investigation
Volume II of the Mueller Report focused on whether President Trump had illegally obstructed justice in connection with the Russia investigation.6 The Special Counsel's Office operated under a significant constraint: a long-standing Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion that a sitting president cannot be criminally indicted.6 Accepting this legal conclusion, Mueller's team decided not to make a traditional prosecutorial judgment on whether the president had committed a crime, believing it would be unfair to accuse him without the possibility of a trial to clear his name.6
Instead, the report detailed ten "episodes" in which the president may have obstructed justice.6 These included his firing of FBI Director James Comey, his efforts to pressure Attorney General Jeff Sessions to reverse his recusal from the investigation, and his attempts to have the Special Counsel removed.14
The report's final conclusion on this matter was carefully and deliberately worded: "if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, however, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him".6
The investigation into these episodes revealed a remarkable stress test of American democratic institutions. The report found that the president's efforts to influence the investigation were "mostly unsuccessful." The primary reason for this failure, as the report explicitly states, was "largely because the persons who surrounded the President declined to carry out orders or accede to his requests".14 This finding shifts the focus from the president's actions to the responses of his subordinates, such as the White House Counsel. These officials acted as institutional guardrails, demonstrating that the rule of law is not self-executing but depends critically on the ethical choices and actions of individuals within the government. The system held, but the investigation exposed a vulnerability where institutional stability relied heavily on the personal integrity of a few key appointees.
Part III: "Bad Hombres" and a "Big, Beautiful Wall": The Architecture of a Political Message
Donald Trump's signature policy promise—the construction of a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border—was inextricably linked to his provocative and often inflammatory rhetoric on immigration. This final part of the report analyzes how a specific, memorable phrase became emblematic of a broader political strategy, and how the ambitious promise of a border wall collided with the complex realities of history, funding, and implementation.
The "Bad Hombres" Remark: Anatomy of a Soundbite
During the final presidential debate on October 19, 2016, in a discussion on immigration and border security, Donald Trump delivered a line that would become one of the most memorable of the campaign. He stated: "We have some bad hombres here, and we're gonna get 'em out".18 He used the phrase to refer to "drug lords" and other criminals he claimed were present in the country.20
The reaction was immediate and widespread. The term "bad hombres" quickly began trending on social media, sparking a mixture of ridicule for the clumsy use of "Spanglish," confusion over its meaning, and condemnation from critics who saw it as a racist and dehumanizing dog whistle.19 Some listeners misheard the word as "hambres," the Spanish word for hunger, prompting political commentator Ana Navarro to offer a Spanish lesson on Twitter clarifying the difference.19
Beyond the immediate media cycle, scholarly analysis has framed the remark as a key example of a broader "Latino threat" narrative that has been used to justify punitive immigration policies.23 This narrative often portrays Latino men, in particular, as inherently criminal, thereby framing immigration as a national security issue rather than an economic or humanitarian one.23 The "bad hombres" comment was more than a gaffe; it was a highly effective piece of political rhetoric. By using a simple, memorable, and slightly foreign-sounding phrase, Trump distilled a complex policy debate into a simplistic narrative of good versus evil. This type of language works to dehumanize the targeted group, making extreme policies like mass deportation and the construction of a border wall appear not only justifiable but necessary for public safety.25 It was a concise and powerful encapsulation of a core campaign theme, designed to bypass nuanced discussion and appeal directly to voters' fears.
The Wall: A Campaign Promise with Deep Roots
While the border wall became synonymous with Donald Trump's political brand, the use of physical barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border has a long history. The first fences were erected in the early 20th century, and more substantial construction began in the 1990s under President Bill Clinton, whose administration launched "Operation Gatekeeper" in California and "Operation Hold the Line" in Texas, building miles of fencing to deter illegal crossings in urban areas.27 This effort was significantly expanded under President George W. Bush, who signed the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This act authorized the construction of up to 700 miles of fencing along the border, and by the time Trump took office, approximately 650 miles of various types of barriers were already in place.27
What made Trump's proposal unique was its scale, its branding, and its proposed funding mechanism. He promised not just fencing, but a "big, beautiful wall" made of concrete and steel, stretching across the nearly 2,000-mile border.28 Most critically, he made a promise that would become a central chant at his campaign rallies: Mexico would pay for it.
Financing the Wall: The Unfulfilled Promise
From the day he announced his candidacy, Donald Trump's central vow regarding the border wall was unequivocal: "I will build a great great wall on our southern border and I'll have Mexico pay for that wall".31 This promise was never fulfilled. The government of Mexico repeatedly and flatly refused to pay for any such project.30
As this reality became clear, the administration shifted its justifications. Trump began to claim that Mexico would pay for the wall "indirectly" through the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), a trade deal negotiated to replace NAFTA.34 However, trade experts and economists widely refuted this claim, explaining that any economic benefits or revenues from a trade deal would flow to the U.S. Treasury generally and were not earmarked for a specific project. Furthermore, they noted that the USMCA was not designed to generate significant new government revenue in the first place.34
The actual funding for the wall came entirely from U.S. sources, through a contentious and protracted political process:
Congressional Appropriations: The administration repeatedly requested billions of dollars from Congress for wall construction. These requests were often met with resistance, leading to political standoffs. A major dispute over a $5.7 billion request in late 2018 resulted in a 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.36 Congress ultimately appropriated funds far below the administration's requests, such as the $1.375 billion approved for FY2019.36
Repurposed and Transferred Funds: To bypass congressional opposition, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border in February 2019.36 This controversial move allowed him to unilaterally divert billions of dollars that Congress had appropriated for other purposes, primarily from the Department of Defense. Funds were taken from military construction projects—such as schools and training facilities on bases—and from counter-narcotics accounts to be used for wall construction.32
The extraordinary lengths to which the administration went to secure funding from U.S. taxpayers demonstrate that the wall's primary value was symbolic, not practical. The promise that "Mexico would pay" was a powerful rhetorical device, not a viable financial plan. The subsequent willingness to shut down the government and raid military budgets revealed that the political imperative of being seen to build the wall for his political base superseded fiscal norms, congressional authority, and the administration's own stated policy justifications.
The Reality of Construction: An Assessment of Progress and Impact
An analysis by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan government watchdog, provides a factual assessment of the border wall construction that occurred during the Trump administration, from January 2017 to January 2021.38 The GAO's findings reveal a significant disconnect between the political rhetoric of a massive new wall and the on-the-ground reality.
According to the GAO, approximately 458 miles of border barrier panels were installed during this period.38 However, the vast majority of this work—371 miles, or 81 percent—involved replacing existing, often dilapidated or less formidable vehicle barriers with new, taller pedestrian fencing.38 Only about 87 miles of barriers were built in locations where no barrier previously existed.38
To expedite this construction, the administration used waiver authority granted under the REAL ID Act of 2005 to bypass dozens of federal laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.40 The consequences of waiving these protections, as documented by the GAO, were severe and often irreversible.38 Impacts included:
Cultural Damage: The destruction of Indigenous sacred sites, including the blasting of Monument Hill in Arizona, a known tribal burial ground.40
Environmental Harm: The decimation of native plants, including iconic saguaro cacti; the disruption of wildlife migration patterns for endangered species like the jaguar and ocelot; and the depletion of scarce water resources from wells drilled to mix concrete.40
Erosion and Flooding: Improperly managed construction sites led to severe erosion that, in some cases, threatened the structural integrity of the newly built barriers themselves.40
This record shows a stark chasm between the political narrative and the factual reality. The narrative promised a vast new wall securing the border; the reality was primarily an upgrade of existing fencing. The narrative promised enhanced security; the reality included significant and lasting damage to American cultural heritage and natural ecosystems, a tangible cost paid to achieve a political objective.
Conclusion: The Convergence of Media, Politics, and Policy
The presidency of Donald J. Trump cannot be fully understood without a holistic analysis of the convergence of his media persona, his navigation of political controversy, and his approach to policymaking. His success was built upon a foundation he had spent decades constructing in the public eye: an identity of an ultra-successful, decisive, and authoritative outsider. This brand, forged through countless cameos and perfected in the boardroom of The Apprentice, allowed him to present himself not as a politician, but as a celebrity CEO uniquely qualified to solve the nation's problems.
This media-honed persona proved to be his most formidable asset when confronted with the Special Counsel's investigation into Russian interference. He employed media-savvy tactics to reframe the inquiry, dismissing the detailed findings of a "sweeping and systematic" attack on U.S. democracy as a partisan "witch hunt." His simple, repeated declaration of "no collusion" largely overshadowed the Mueller Report's more nuanced and troubling conclusions about a campaign that was "receptive" to foreign help and a president whose actions raised serious questions of obstruction of justice.
Finally, this same mastery of narrative was deployed to advance his signature policy: the U.S.-Mexico border wall. The project was driven less by its practical execution or fiscal responsibility and more by its immense symbolic power. It was the physical manifestation of a political promise, animated by dehumanizing rhetoric like "bad hombres" and sustained by a narrative that prioritized the appearance of action over the complex realities of implementation. The unfulfilled promise that Mexico would pay, the diversion of military funds, and the documented environmental and cultural damage all underscore that the wall's primary purpose was to serve as a powerful political symbol. Ultimately, the story of these three pillars is the story of how a media-driven identity was successfully translated into political power, shaping both the central conflict and the defining policy of a unique American presidency.
Works cited
Donald Trump filmography - Wikipedia, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_filmography
Media career of Donald Trump - Wikipedia, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_career_of_Donald_Trump
Trump's Iconic TV Appearances & Movis Cameos | NewsX - YouTube, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a_wzGf33rA
Donald Trump List of Movies and TV Shows - TV Guide, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/donald-trump/credits/3030057583/
Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 ..., accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.justice.gov/archives/sco/file/1373816/dl?inline=
Mueller report - Wikipedia, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mueller_report
Fact Sheet: What We Know about Russia's Interference Operations - German Marshall Fund, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.gmfus.org/news/fact-sheet-what-we-know-about-russias-interference-operations
DIG-Declassified-HPSCI-Report-Manufactured-Russia-Hoax-July2025.pdf - DNI.gov, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/DIG/DIG-Declassified-HPSCI-Report-Manufactured-Russia-Hoax-July2025.pdf
Statement of Reasons, MUR 7207 - FEC, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.fec.gov/files/legal/murs/7207/7207_47.pdf
Russian Meddling in the United States: The Historical Context of the Mueller Report - CSIS, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.csis.org/analysis/russian-meddling-united-states-historical-context-mueller-report
All of the Mueller report's major findings in less than 30 minutes - PBS, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/all-of-the-mueller-reports-major-findings-in-less-than-30-minutes
ANALYSIS: THE MUELLER REPORT EXPOSED WEAKNESSES IN U.S. DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS THAT H.R.1 WOULD ADDRESS “There were multiple, - Brennan Center for Justice, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.brennancenter.org/media/520/download/HR1%20Mueller%20Document-TNR.pdf
What the Mueller Report Tells Us About Coordination and the State of Campaign Laws, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://campaignlegal.org/update/what-mueller-report-tells-us-about-coordination-and-state-campaign-laws
What the Mueller report tells us about Trump, Russia and obstruction ..., accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2019/apr/18/mueller-report-trump-russia-key-takeaways
FactCheck: What the Mueller report says about Russian contacts - WHYY, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://whyy.org/articles/factcheck-what-the-mueller-report-says-about-russian-contacts/
Key Findings of the Mueller Report | ACS - American Constitution Society, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/other-resources/key-findings-of-the-mueller-report/
Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election - Volume 2 - Department of Justice, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.justice.gov/storage/report_volume2.pdf
Donald Trump: We have some bad hombres here - Final Presidential Debate - YouTube, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NveATfcxta4
To some, Trump's 'bad hombres' is much more than a botched Spanish word | PBS News, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-bad-hombres-draws-jeers-spanish-lessons
"We have some bad hombres" - YouTube, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsO-lSMHOmY
Donald Trump: We need to get out 'bad hombres' - YouTube, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AneeacsvNwU
Bad hombre: restaurants make a meal of Donald Trump's Spanish sideswipe - The Guardian, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/21/bad-hombre-restaurants-meal-donald-trump
“Bad Hombres”? An Examination of Identities in US Media Coverage of Immigration Abstract - at Clark University, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://wordpress.clarku.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/429/2019/02/SilberMohamedFarrisForthcomingJEMS.pdf
Bad Hombres: Perceived Discrimination, Acculturation, and the Mental Health of Latinxs in a Growing Anti- Immigrant - The New School Psychology Bulletin, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.nspb.net/index.php/nspb/issue/view/44/25
Trump's Lies: An Examination of the Fictitious Perception of Latin American Immigrants as Violent Criminals - UCONN Digital Commons - University of Connecticut, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2161&context=srhonors_theses
“Bad Hombres”: Trump Era Politics and Media in Shaping the Perceptions of the Mexican Diaspora in the United States - USF Scholarship Repository, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2683&context=thes
At The Border - Theo Deutinger - Let's Call it a Wall - e-flux, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.e-flux.com/architecture/at-the-border/325750/let-s-call-it-a-wall
America's Wall | inewsource, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://border.inewsource.org/
Explainer: The History and Future of Hurdles to a U.S.-Mexico Border Wall | AS/COA, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-history-and-future-hurdles-us-mexico-border-wall
Mexico–United States border wall - Wikipedia, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico%E2%80%93United_States_border_wall
Build a wall, and make Mexico pay for it - Trump-O-Meter: | PolitiFact, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/trumpometer/promise/1397/build-wall-and-make-mexico-pay-it/
AP FACT CHECK: Trump's wall claim is beyond 'redemption' | PBS News Weekend, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-fact-check-trumps-wall-claim-is-beyond-redemption
Fact-Checking Trump's Claims About His Border Wall Promises | NBC News NOW, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvsFycPKl6Q
Is Mexico Paying for the Wall Through USMCA? - FactCheck.org, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.factcheck.org/2018/12/is-mexico-paying-for-the-wall-through-usmca/
Here Are the Facts Behind President Trump's Border Claims - Time Magazine, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://time.com/5497260/donald-trump-border-wall-fact-check/
Legal Authority to Repurpose Funds for Border Barrier Construction | Congress.gov, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45908
Trump to Seize More Border Wall Money Through Brute Force, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.wola.org/analysis/trump-border-wall-money-brute-force/
Southwest Border: Cultural and Natural Resource Impacts from ..., accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-24-107127
GAO-23-105443, SOUTHWEST BORDER: Additional Actions Needed to Address Cultural and Natural Resource Impacts from Barrier Constru - Government Accountability Office, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-23-105443.pdf
Government Watchdog: Trump's Border Wall Damaged Environment, Hurt Wildlife & Destroyed Indigenous Sacred Sites | The House Committee on Natural Resources, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://democrats-naturalresources.house.gov/media/press-releases/government-watchdog-trumps-border-wall-damaged-environment-hurt-wildlife-and-destroyed-indigenous-sacred-sites
GAO: Rush to build border wall caused harm, damages continued after pause, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2023/09/07/gao-rush-to-build-border-wall-caused-harm-damages-continued-after-pause/
Donald Trump filmography - Wikiwand, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.wikiwand.com/en/articles/Donald_Trump_filmography
Donald Trump | Birthday, Age, Education, Biography, Impeachments, & Military Parade | Britannica, accessed on September 25, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Trump