Fact check: Trump wanted a moat with snakes and alligators at the border

1. Summary of the results

The claim about Trump wanting a moat with snakes and alligators appears to have some factual basis, though with important nuances. Multiple credible sources confirm that Trump did privately discuss the idea of a water-filled trench containing snakes or alligators ^{[1] [2] [3]}. These discussions were serious enough that White House advisers actually sought cost estimates for such a proposal ^{[1] [2]}. However, Trump himself publicly denied these claims in a 2019 social media post, stating "I may be tough on Border Security, but not that tough" ^[4].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement lacks several important contextual elements:

• The discussions were part of a broader set of extreme border security measures being considered, including electrified walls with flesh-piercing spikes ^[1]
• These were private discussions rather than official policy proposals ^[2]
• The Trump administration implemented various other border security measures, including military deployments and other strategies ^[5]
• Some interpretations of these discussions have been exaggerated, such as claims about feeding migrant children to alligators, which were not part of the actual discussions ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original statement presents the claim in an oversimplified manner that could be misleading:

• It doesn't distinguish between private discussions and official policy ^[3]
• It omits that while the discussions did occur according to multiple sources, they never progressed beyond the preliminary stage
• Different groups benefit from different interpretations of this story:
• Trump's opponents benefit from presenting these discussions as evidence of extreme policy positions
• Trump and his supporters benefit from dismissing the claims as exaggerated or false ^[4]
• Media organizations benefit from the sensational nature of the story, regardless of its complete accuracy

The story appears to sit somewhere between complete fiction and literal truth, with multiple credible sources confirming the discussions occurred, while acknowledging they never became official policy.