Trump says the border wall will be tougher to climb than Mount Everest

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump assured a crowd of law enforcement officials Wednesday that construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border is "far along" and that it will be tougher to climb than Mount Everest.

"This wall is very, very on its way. It's happening as we speak," Trump told a gathering of U.S. sheriffs in Washington. "We're building as we speak in the most desperately needed areas."

The president did not specify what construction project he was referring to, but Customs and Border Protection officials had said they planned to build about 25 miles of concrete walls in the Rio Grande Valley beginning in mid-February using funds appropriated in 2018. The concrete portion of the wall will be built to the height of an existing flood-control levee and then topped with 18-foot steel bollard posts.

"It’s a big wall. It’s a strong wall, and it’s a wall that people aren’t going through very easy," Trump said. "They're gonna have to be in extremely good shape to get over this one. They would be able to climb Mount Everest a lot easier I think."

The president was clearly engaging in hyperbole, as Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world at almost 30,000 feet tall and more than 200 people have died trying to climb it, according to CNN.

Trump told the crowd that he is still looking at the border security bill that Republican and Democratic lawmakers crafted in an effort to reach a compromise and avoid another government shutdown. The package includes $1.37 billion for 55 miles of new border barriers. Congress is set to vote on the legislation Thursday.

The president, who had requested $5.7 billion, said he is "not happy" with the proposed deal, but most observers believe he will sign the legislation.

Government shutdown: Border security deal faces vote in Congress as midnight Friday deadline looms

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says the border wall will be tougher to climb than Mount Everest