Following previous reports of his plans to visit the southern border, former President Donald Trump traveled to Texas to take a look at the southern border including the wall that was one of his campaign promises. At his visit, the former president maintained that he still wants a wall built to close off the southern border.
Trump traveled to Texas to visit the southern border at the state Wednesday. The former president was accompanied by the state’s Republican Governor and Lt. Governor Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton. Over 20 House Republicans were also present with Trump at his visit as well as some local border officials.
During his visit, the former president talked about his campaign promise of building a wall at the southern border, once again reflecting his hardline stance against immigration. Trump’s visit was once again a repeat of his previous grievances while serving as a test of loyalty to congressional Republicans who were there with him. It also reiterated the GOP’s desire to make immigration one of the main issues in the midst of the border crisis that the Biden administration currently faces.
The former president had a roundtable with Abbott with Republicans and GOP leaders in Texas in their efforts to continue building the wall. President Joe Biden shut down the construction of the wall shortly after he was sworn in as the new president. Trump touted his administration’s immigration policies but also mentioned the Russia investigation including his election loss in his remarks.
To note, a handful of those House Republicans present skipped voting for the House resolution to form a select committee to investigate the Capitol insurrection last January 6. A pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an effort to derail Congress’ certification of Biden’s election victory and overturn the results. Five people were killed, and over 100 Capitol Police officers were injured.
During the riots, the rioters were also targeting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and even threatened to have Trump’s own vice president, Mike Pence, hanged. A rift somewhat remains between Trump and Pence, who refused to overturn election certification. Last week, Pence publicly rebuked Trump over the riots.
“The Constitution affords the vice president no authority to reject or return electoral votes submitted to Congress by the states,” said Pence, referencing his former colleague’s claim that he could reject the vote count.
“Truth is, there is almost no idea more un-American than the notion that any one person could choose the American president,” added the former vice president.