Trump sees chance for 'solar' Mexico border wall

PARIS: US President Donald Trump wants a controversial wall planned for the border with Mexico to be fitted with solar panels, according to his comments released by the White House on Thursday.

During a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One flying into Paris, Trump said, "there is a chance that we can do a solar wall."



"We have major companies looking at that.  Look, there's no better place for solar than the Mexico border - the southern border," Trump said, adding it would  "actually look good."

Trump also argued that the wall should be, at least in part, see through.

"One of the things with the wall is you need transparency. You have to be able to see through it. So it could be a steel wall with openings, but you have to have openings because you have to see what's on the other side of the wall.



"As horrible as it sounds, when they throw the large sacks of drugs over, and if you have people on the other side of the wall, you don't see them - they hit you on the head with 60 pounds of stuff?  It's over.  As crazy as that sounds, you need transparency through that wall. We have some incredible designs."

Building a wall between Mexico and the United States to stop illegal immigration - and Mexico paying for it - was one of Trump's key campaign pledges in last year's election. Mexico has vehemently rejected the idea that it would pay.