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AGoFundMe campaignto actualize PresidentDonald Trump‘s call for a wall along the United States’ border with Mexico has raised over $12 million as of Friday — though campaign organizers say the government may not be able to take the donations.
“Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J. Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again,” Kolfage explained. “President Trump’s main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as he’s followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still.”
The organizer added that “if we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians.”
“This won’t be easy, but it’s our duty as citizens,” he said.
Kolfage wrote that the team behind the campaign has contacted the Trump administration and a law firm in efforts to guarantee that the money goes toward a wall. “We will hold all funds and not release a single penny until we have all legal aspects covered to ensure our money goes only to the wall,” Kolfage said.“We haven’t spoken directly to the president but would like to,” Kolfage, who lost both legs and one hand serving in Iraq, emailedCNN. “After all, this is for his campaign promise. The people are yelling, and I hope he listens.”
TheTreasury Department’s websitesays that Americans can donate to the government. “Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called ‘Gifts to the United States,'” the website explains.
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Citizens have donated in the past to touch up the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument and, most notably, to build the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal,Politicoreported.
In June 16, 2015, when Trumpannounced his candidacy, he made the promise of a border wall a centerpiece of his campaign.
“When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
“I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively,” he said. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
Trump has demanded that money for the wall be allotted in Congress’ yet-to-be-passed plan to fund parts of the government, which is due Friday at midnight,The New York Timesreported.
In aconfrontational meetingwith Vice PresidentMike Pence, House Minority LeaderNancy Pelosiand Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this month, Trump said that he would be “proud to shut down the government for border security.”
source: people.com
