Pence says Mexico border wall construction a ‘day one’ priority

September 26, 2023 at 11:22 AM

The construction of former President Donald Trump's Mexican border wall has been effectively halted since President Joe Biden issued an executive order after taking office. Former Vice President Mike Pence wishes to resume building out the wall if elected in 2024. Pence joins Yahoo Finance Live for an exclusive interview to explain his domestic policy for tightening security around the US-Mexican border.

Pence insists that on "day one" he would resume construction of the border wall. Pence says that the US needs to recognize "that at the end of the day, we have a broken immigration system and we're going to have to go to the American people, ultimately, once we secure our border and fix this system once and for all."

Pence also shared his stance on the Russia-Ukraine War and the importance of providing aid to the Ukraine military.

"Ukraine is not our war, but freedom is our fight," Pence asserts. "It is imperative the United States of America continues to provide the soldiers in Ukraine what they need to repel that Russian invasion."

To see the full interview with former Vice President Pence, click here.

For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Yahoo Finance Live.

Video Transcript

RICK NEWMAN: Would you resume construction of the Trump wall on the southern border?

MIKE PENCE: Day one you resume construction. And frankly, I've been down to the border four times, and the girders that are still rusting in the sun laying on their side that have been there since Joe Biden stopped construction of the wall are going to be pretty handy for construction workers to continue it.

Look, the cartels are in operational control of the border. That's not my language-- that's what our border patrol agents have told me. The wall is part of that. Remain in Mexico is part of that Title 42 is part of that. But also just recognizing that, at the end of the day, we have a broken immigration system and-- and we're going to have to go to the American people ultimately once we secure our border and fix this system once and for all.

RICK NEWMAN: The war in Ukraine-- you do support US military aid to Ukraine unlike some members of the Republican Party. Would you do more? Would you-- if you were president, would you be giving Ukraine more advanced weapons, perhaps putting US military advisors in Ukraine, doing things like that?

MIKE PENCE: Well-- well, Russia's unconscionable and brutal invasion of Ukraine was an act of evil. I've actually traveled into the region, seen the aftermath of the human tragedy that continues to unfold there. And I hold to the-- what used to be called the Reagan Doctrine which is, if you're willing to fight our enemies on your soil, we'll give you the means to fight them there so we don't have to fight them.

I think Joe Biden has done a terrible job explaining our national interest in Ukraine and in supporting their military. Look, I've got a son in the Marine Corps, a son-in-law in the Navy. I have no doubt that Vladimir Putin, if he overruns Ukraine, he's going to cross the border of a NATO country that we're going to have to send our soldiers to fight. So I want to give Ukraine what they need to fight them there, and I want to do a better job than Joe Biden has done.

It seems to me Joe Biden has just given Ukraine enough not to lose, but I think providing them with the advanced weaponry, with missiles, with the aircraft necessary to really take the fight to the Russians and drive them out, it's the-- it's the fastest way to ending this conflict. Appeasement has never worked.

I know that Donald Trump and others in this Republican field are talking about ending the race. Others are questioning that we have any national interest there at all. Look, Ukraine is not our war but freedom is our fight, and I think it is-- it is imperative the United States of America continue to provide the soldiers in Ukraine what they need to repel that Russian invasion. I also think that sends the best message possible that we can send to China that America is the leader of the free world and the Western world will not tolerate them using force to extend their ambitions, especially when it comes to Taiwan.

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