Veteran Who Started Border Wall GoFundMe Tries to Meet With Nancy Pelosi

Veteran Who Started Border Wall GoFundMe Tries to Meet With Nancy Pelosi
House Speaker designate Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) talks to journalists following a meeting with President Donald Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, and fellow members of Congress about border security at the White House in Washington on Jan. 2, 2019. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Zachary Stieber
1/5/2019
Updated:
1/5/2019

The triple-amputee veteran who started a GoFundMe fundraiser that’s garnered more than $19 million for President Donald Trump’s border wall tried meeting with the top Democratic leader to ask why she can’t compromise and meet Republicans in the middle.

Brian Kolfage started the “We the People Will Fund the Wall“ fundraiser, which circulated widely and as of Jan. 5, had raised more than $19 million from more than 315,000 people.

“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,” he wrote.

“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.”

Kolfage tried meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the current leader of the Democratic party. Pelosi has refused to negotiate with Trump over the partial government shutdown, in contrast to the president, who has expressed a willingness to reach a compromise.

Headed to Pelosi’s office, Kolfage told The Daily Caller:  “I want to address her about immigration and why they’re not coming together to meet halfway on things.”

“Because that’s what people want. The left wants their immigration, the right wants their wall, why can’t they come together. A lot of Americans want to know why,” he added. “That GoFundMe gave those people a voice that they haven’t had, and now I’m here, going into Pelosi’s office and I can be that voice for them as well.”

One aide from Pelosi’s office said that the speaker was in a private meeting and asked Kolfage to wait while she inquired about a possible meeting. Later, another aide from Pelosi’s office told Kolfage that the speaker wasn’t in the building and said she could relay his concerns to Pelosi.

A portion of the border wall separating Texas and Mexico on May 30, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)
A portion of the border wall separating Texas and Mexico on May 30, 2017. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

A woman accompanying Kolfage told the aide that the vet had raised over $18 million for the border wall and wanted to discuss that; the aide said she would relay that information.

“We were told last night that Nancy Pelosi was going to be in here and we were going to meet with her to go over immigration and the wall and we showed up and of course she’s not here,” Kolfage said.

“When someone from her office came out, we explained who I was and that I was raising money for the border wall they scoffed at it and laughed and acted like it was some big joke.”

Kolfage’s attempted meeting came after Pelosi joked when asked how much funding she would approve for the wall that she would grant “one dollar.”

It also came as lawmakers introduced a bill that would enable the funding that Kolfage is raising to go toward the creation and maintenance of the wall. The “Buy a Brick, Build the Wall” was introduced by Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio).