Senator Schmitt Blasts Biden Administration Over Border Wall Material Sale
Republican Senator Eric Schmitt has called on the Biden administration to halt its controversial sale of border wall materials at shockingly low prices, accusing it of undermining efforts to secure the border ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office.
Schmitt, a senator from Missouri, criticized the administration for what he described as “sabotage,” claiming taxpayers are only recouping a fraction of the materials' actual value—0.2 percent. He expressed his outrage in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“I am writing to demand that you immediately cease the auctioning off of border wall materials,” the senator stated. “Senate Republicans, including the incoming Chairman and my colleagues on the Senate Armed Services Committee, have repeatedly raised the absurdity of these sales through letters, hearings, and legislative efforts.”
Highlighting a recent sale, Schmitt pointed to numbers he said exemplified the waste. “A representative sale on December 11, 2024, concluded with four sections of border wall—nearly 16,000 pounds of steel—selling for just $105. By comparison, as scrap metal alone, this lot would be worth $5,219 at the average price of $694 per metric ton,” he explained.
The senator argued this is more than a financial misstep. “The Biden Administration is sabotaging the incoming Trump Administration just weeks before inauguration,” he said. “These materials, crucial for securing the border, will now cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to replace at a time when illegal immigration has reached unprecedented levels.”
Border Wall Sales Discovered Through Investigation
The sale of unused border wall materials was first uncovered by The Daily Wire through an investigative report by journalist James Lalino. A border agent reportedly revealed that the materials were being removed rapidly.
“They are taking it from three stations: Nogales, Tucson, and Three Points,” the agent shared. “The goal is to move all of it off the border before Christmas.” The agent estimated that about “half a mile worth of unused border wall is being moved every day.”
Texas Steps In to Save Border Wall Materials
Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a Republican, has pledged to take action. Speaking to Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, Patrick offered to purchase all the remaining border wall materials on behalf of Texas.
“We mean business in Texas, and Tom Homan means business, and President Trump means business,” Patrick declared. “Biden is hauling off the border wall that’s been lying down for years and auctioning it off for as little as $5 apiece.”
Patrick announced his state’s intentions to step in. “Message their White House right now: I will bid on all of that wall and we will buy it in Texas and give it to Donald Trump,” he said. “I’ve got a billion dollars in my pocket to do it. We’ll have about $6 billion in our budget for border security. We’ll buy it.”
Ingraham quipped, “Dan, don’t drive up the cost! It’s only five bucks apiece.”
Patrick chuckled, “I know, and I will go in and buy it all. I’m not going to drive up the—”
The host interjected, “What does this tell you about the Biden people? They’re essentially greenlighting—they want more people coming in.”
Patrick did not mince words. “They’re despicable,” he responded. “What they’re doing to the American people is despicable. That’s why they were thrown out. But the idea that we’ve been trying to buy this wall for four years and they wouldn’t sell it to us is beyond belief.”