Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall” says it best: “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall, / That wants it down.” Maybe it will take a poet to end this crisis (it’s not over) that President Donald Trump has contrived to his shame. But I doubt he reads poetry. I think our Joey Pipia’s sleight of hand is incredible, but Trump is the master of the bait-and-switcheroo. He rallied his cadre of supporters, stating Mexico would pay for a mammoth solid wall. Now, he demands American taxpayers pay for it (note: the billionaire is not a taxpayer). Apparently, his signature campaign promise was not a priority when Republicans held both houses of Congress. He doggedly still defies the facts and inflates the statistics that show crime, drugs and illegals will not be stopped by a physical wall. He continues to defy the will of the majority of Americans who don’t support building such a wall and have other more pressing priorities. (But when have Republicans listened to the will of the majority on other issues?) Instead of following the normal democratic process of drafting legislation and negotiating its language in Congress, Trump held the government hostage and dictated his terms. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of government workers (millions of family members) were made to struggle for their day-to-day existence. His administration of millionaires were tone-deaf to the plights of average citizens. And the shutdown’s damages rippled through our nation. After 35 days, we are back where we began, with what the Democrats originally offered. Trump has walled himself in with his incessant lies, his disregard for democracy, and lack of empathy for the citizens he was elected to lead. His monumental vanity demands a monument to himself. How good is your world history? JOHN DELANEY Port Townsend