The $5 billion for the wall is but a drop in the bucket in terms of completing a physical barrier between the United States and Mexico, which itself is not the best use of money in controlling illegal immigration. So why fight over it? The answer is that President Donald Trump made it the centerpiece of his campaign in 2016. He turned “the wall” into a symbol of his America First candidacy.

This explains not only why the Democrats are stubbornly refusing to give him the appropriations but also why the Republicans themselves are obstinately demanding it. It is all, once again, about Trump. The fight over this measly $5 billion is yet another illustration of the country’s obsession with refighting the 2016 presidential election.

This is why it is so hard to reckon how the shutdown will resolve itself. Usually, when the two sides are fighting over meaningful differences in the federal budget, they can find some place in the middle, with the final figure based on whose votes are the most necessary. But this fight isn’t like that at all. The real question is, Who is going to suffer a symbolic defeat to restart the 25 percent of the government that is currently shuttered?