Trump Lays Out ‘Day One’ Agenda If He Defeats Harris
Former President Donald Trump appeared on Fox News' morning show on Wednesday, where he touched on several subjects, including his intentions for his first day in office if he wins against Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming November election.
“The first thing we’re going to do is we’re going to drill, baby, drill. And then number two — and I can do lots of things on the first day — not one thing or two things or four things, we’re going to do lots of things on the first day — but we’re going to close up the border,” Trump explained to "Fox & Friends" co-host Brian Kilmeade.
“We’re going to allow people to enter, but they must come in legally. I constructed 571 miles of wall. We built a lot, far more than I initially planned. I intended to add 200 more miles. We were at 300 — 200 miles — we were 300 — literally, we were just right there. We could have had another 200, almost 300 miles of wall, and they chose not to finish it,” he continued.
Kilmeade pointed out that American taxpayers had already funded the materials.
“And they sold it, Brian. They sold it for five — for almost nothing. They sold it for 5 percent of the cost. It’s very costly. That wall is exactly what the Border Patrol wanted. It wasn’t my first choice. I had a different design in mind. I had the most beautiful wall you’ve ever seen. But they required steel, concrete, and rebar. And that’s what it is. Inside that steel is concrete. Inside that is rebar. They needed a specific wall, high-tech. It’s very high-tech. It’s all wired for cameras, for everything. I put it up,” Trump elaborated.
“They sold it for 5 — for 5 percent of the construction cost. And all they had to do was flip it. Everything was in place. We could have had 200 additional miles, and the wall would have been incredible. And by the way, walls work. You’ve heard me say two things work. Everything else becomes obsolete, but two things remain effective: walls and wheels. They’ll never change. Walls and wheels,” he added.
Trump has consistently pledged to take drastic measures to secure the U.S.-Mexico border if he wins the presidential election in November.
This commitment is backed by a crucial voting demographic — Latinos.
The latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll indicates that the percentage of Latinos supporting the construction of a border wall and the deportation of all undocumented immigrants has risen by at least 10 points since 2021.
According to the research, even among those with ties to immigration, Trump’s push for stronger border security, possibly influenced by his anti-immigrant rhetoric, is resonating.
The findings also highlight Republicans’ recent successes among Latino voters and reflect the growing frustration that has made illegal immigration a top concern for many Americans during the election season.
Axios reported on the survey's results:
42% of Latino adults surveyed expressed support for building a wall or fence along the entire U.S.–Mexico border, a 12-point increase since December 2021.
38% favor sending all undocumented immigrants in the U.S. back to their country of origin, up from 28% in 2021.
Additionally, 64% of Latinos support granting the president the authority to close U.S. borders if there is an influx of immigrants attempting to enter the country. This was the first time the survey included this question.
Support for building a wall was most pronounced among Cuban Americans (58%), who are generally more conservative than many other Latinos and have benefited from decades of Cold War-era “special treatment” in immigration.
Support for the border wall is lowest among Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans (37%). Only 43% of Central Americans support the wall.