Donald Trump suggests 'mops and buckets' to residents threatened by rising waters because barriers are too expensive

Donald Trump has refused proposals to build a sea wall to protect New Yorkers from surging water levels, saying the project would be “costly” and “foolish” and they should use “mops and buckets” instead.

The US president criticised the plans for a six-mile barrier to shield the city as ferocious storms become more common due to climate change.

The country’s Army Corps of Engineers has estimated the barricade would take around 25 years to construct and would cost around $119 billion (£92 billion), according to a report in the New York Times.

But Mr Trump dampened hopes the work would be given the green light by tweeting: “A massive 200 Billion Dollar Sea Wall, built around New York to protect it from rare storms, is a costly, foolish & environmentally unfriendly idea that, when needed, probably won’t work anyway.

“It will also look terrible,” he added, before joking: “Sorry, you’ll just have to get your mops & buckets ready!”

The city’s mayor Bill de Blasio hit back at the president over his sarcastic suggestion.

He tweeted in response: “'Mops and buckets’. We lost 44 of our neighbours in Hurricane Sandy. You should know, you lived here at the time.

"Your climate denial isn’t just dangerous to those you’ve sworn to protect - it’s deadly."