Republicans praise Trump plan to paint border wall: ‘Black is the new orange’

Published August 20, 2025 5:38pm ET



The miles of steel slats along the southern border are getting a fresh coat of paint meant to disincentivize would-be crossers, drawing praise from Republicans and new criticism from Democrats.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced while in New Mexico this week that President Donald Trump had instructed her to paint the “entire” reddish brown wall black to make the beams hotter and more difficult for climbers to scale.

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