Border deal falls short -- by design

On top of that, the border deal would match the funding level for 2018, which means that all the hullabaloo about the shutdown and the "build the wall" rallies didn't move the needle one bit. And as an additional insult, the barriers that would be enhanced under the plan were put there by the Obama administration -- which conservatives like to say pushed for open borders.

It's no wonder that President Trump -- who knows a bad deal when he sees one, unless he's the one inking it -- was not pleased with the offer.

"It's not going to do the trick," Trump told reporters Tuesday.

Trump's comrades on conservative talk radio agreed, refusing to describe a crumb as a steak dinner. With visions still dancing in their heads of a 2,000-mile and 20 foot-high concrete border wall (with moat optional), they put Trump on notice. He needs to turn down the deal, they said. Or he might as well head back to Trump Tower because his presidency is over.

Yet, Trump is stuck between a wall and losing face. He can threaten all he wants to sidestep Congress and go it alone with an emergency order.

But who is he kidding? That's never going to happen. And for the same reason that Democrats killed immigration reform and the Dream Act. Trump doesn't want to be the sole owner and operator of a border wall that may wind up being a giant eyesore that goes overbudget and, in the end, doesn't even work because people still keep coming.

And come they will until Trump and members of Congress grow the spines to do what they don't want to do but what also happens to be the only thing that will curb illegal immigration: punish employers. Notice how this little item somehow got left out of the border deal.

Tired of illegal immigrants? Gee, that's a little ungrateful given all the chores they've already done for you. Nevertheless, here's how you get rid of them: Dry up the jobs that lure them here.

Anything else is just political theater, a foolish distraction and a colossal waste of time.

You know, like the Trump presidency itself.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.