GoFundMe campaign to pay for Trump's US-Mexico border wall raises over $2m

'Even if we get half, that's half the wall'

A Donald Trump supporter has raised over $2m to help pay for the US president’s border wall with Mexico.

Brian Kolfage, a 37-year-old veteran who was wounded in the Iraq war, started a GoFundMe campaign to help Mr Trump raise $5bn (£3.9bn) for the wall.

The campaign has so far raised $2,414,051 of its $1bn (£798m) goal from 40,850 donors.

In a statement on the campaign page, Mr Kolfage said the goal was set to the maximum GoFundMe allows, but he was “working to get it raised”.

He said if all of those who voted for Mr Trump in 2016 pledged $80 (£63), they would raise roughly $5bn for the wall, and added, “even if we get half, that’s half the wall. We can do this”.

“Democrats are going to stall this project by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesn’t get his victor [sic]”, he wrote.

“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.”

Mr Kolfage said he was in contact with officials in the Trump administration to secure a point of contact for the donation and had “many very high level contacts already helping”.

He said if the campaign does not reach its goal everyone who donated will be refunded.

It comes as the Senate approved legislation to temporarily fund the government after Mr Trump backed off from his threat to shut down the government over his demand for money for the border wall.

Last week Mr Trump had said he would be “proud” to shut down the government over his request for $5bn.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the Democrats would oppose Mr Trump’s border demands because the wall is “inefficient” and because Mr Trump, as a candidate, promised Mexico would pay for it, something Mexico has staunchly refused to do.

“We want smart, effective border security,” Mr Schumer said. “That’s not a wall.”

Explaining his reasons for starting the GoFundMe campaign, Mr Kolfage wrote: “Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. 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.

“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. 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.

“I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, they did it the correct way and it’s time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT!It’s up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling.”