To Donald Trump, the wall isn’t simply an object–it is tangible evidence of his covenant with his base. It represents strength, virility, and his commitment to protect America from all of those scary external forces that threaten it daily: terrorists; brown people; whatever. Most importantly, at this point, it represents his need to show that he is a winner. It is not enough to trade something for it, because that would reward opposition; the Democrats must recognize that the American people anointed him as their leader and that his will must be done, without question. As a result, compromise is not on the table.
To Nancy Pelosi, the wall isn’t simply an object–it is a proxy for everything that is hateful about Trumpism. It stands for capriciousness, stupidity, white nationalism, and the unwillingness to embrace new people and new ideas. It is the negation of the Statue of Liberty: America’s version of the Berlin Wall, the Maginot Line, or the Great Wall of China. Above all, if Trump is permitted to prevail on this issue by taking hostages, it will just encourage him to do it again and again. As a result, compromise is out of the question.
And so, as with guns, the evolution of the wall into a symbol, rather than an object, makes it very difficult to compromise. A deal will come only when the parties start seeing it as an object again, or if external forces are brought to bear that send an even stronger message.