Triple-amputee Air Force veteran on mission to raise $1B for US-Mexico border wall
Brian Kolfage’s GoFundMe campaign 'We The People Will Fund The Wall,' has racked up more than $3 million from more than 34,000 people, with a goal of raising $1 billion.
A triple amputee U.S. military veteran says he was inspired to raise money for President Trump’s U.S.-Mexico border wall after reading a New York Post article that questioned why no one had taken up the mantle.
In just three days, Brian Kolfage’s GoFundMe campaign “We The People Will Fund The Wall,” has racked up more than $2 million from more than 34,000 people, with a goal of raising $1 billion.
"If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall," the page reads. "That equates to roughly 5Billion Dollars, even if we get half, that's half the wall. We can do this."
"If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall. That equates to roughly 5Billion Dollars, even if we get half, that's half the wall. We can do this."
Kolfage wrote that the campaign has been in touch with the Trump administration “to secure a point of contact where all funds will go upon completion.”
“As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today,” Kolfage’s page reads. “Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.”
He added: “Democrats are going to stall this project by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesn’t get his victory. They'd rather see President Trump fail than see America succeed. However, 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.”
Kolfage is a retired U.S. Air Force member who served in Iraq. During his second deployment for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004, Kolfage was injured in a rocket attack at Balad Air Base. According to Kolfage's website, a 107mm rocket shell exploded about three feet away from him. Kolfage lost both legs and his right hand and required 11 months of therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Kolfage continued to serve in the Air Force for several more years and was assigned to Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona as the base security manager. Kolfage is "the most severely wounded Airman to survive any war," his website states. He is now a motivational speaker and has appeared multiple times on FOX News.
Kolfage graduated from the University of Arizona's School of Architecture in 2014 and is now married with children.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment. This week, the White House retracted its $5 billion figure to fund the border wall amid a looming government shutdown.
“We have other ways that we can get to that $5 billion that we’ll work with Congress,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told Fox News on Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Wednesday indicated the Senate will consider a stopgap measure to continue funding the government to avert a government shutdown – but it won’t include Trump’s desired allocation for border wall funding because of the “reality of our political moment.”
BORDER WALL EFFORT GETTING BOOST FROM US SHERIFFS' CROWDFUNDING SITE
Kolfage's campaign is not the first crowdfunding effort to raise money for the border wall. In September the National Sheriff's Association launched a website for donations. As of mid-December, the website has garnered nearly $160,000.
Fox News' Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
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