2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump hit back Monday at Hillary Clinton and others criticizing him for his comments on Mexicans in his 2016 kickoff, saying that he has “a great relationship” with Mexico and the Mexican people.
However, Trump did caution to radio host Hugh Hewitt that without a border, “we’re not going to have a country” without a strong border. The real estate mogul followed-up by asking rhetorically “how do you define a country if you don’t have borders?”
“So, first of all, Donald Trump, she attacked you personally. Didn’t name you. What do you think about that?” Hewitt asked Trump from the outset.
“Well, 1) I’m honored. And 2) as far as Mexico is concerned I believe strongly in a very very strong border. We have no border right now, it’s like a sieve. It’s like water pouring through. It’s ridiculous,” Trump said. “I have a great relationship with Mexico. I have a great relationship with Mexican people, and frankly, you know, I just feel strongly that you need to have a border and it has to be strong.”
“I often say that nobody can build a wall like I can build a wall. I build great buildings all over the world and, frankly, nobody can build like I can build and nobody can build a wall like I can,” Trump said.
“Some people thought that was a racist statement. It’s not. And I’m not talking about keeping Mexicans out. I’m talking about keeping the world out,” Trump continued. “You know, we’re like a dumping ground for the rest of the world, Hugh. And we’re not getting the finest people. We’re getting people that many other countries, including Mexico, don’t want. They’re sending them over to us because our government is so stupid and so foolishly run that we accept everybody with open arms. It’s not like the old days, so we are getting a lot of bad people coming in.”
“And I’m not talking about Mexico,” Trump tried clarifying. “I’m talking about a lot of bad people period. They’re coming through and they’re pouring through our border and we don’t know what to do with them.”
“I feel we need a strong border. I don’t feel, I know. If we’re going to have a country, we need a border, and we have to have a strong border so illegals aren’t coming in,” Trump said. “And that’s illegals coming from all over the world.”
Hewitt then asked the 2016 presidential candidate if he felt as though Hillary Clinton had “falsely accused” Trump of using “incendiary speech” about Mexicans during his 2016 announcement.
“Well, I would say yes because I don’t. I mean, all I do is I want to have borders. Now, if that is incendiary, if that’s being tough or being unfair, you let me know,” Trump told the host. “But I think if having borders and having borders — and I mean strong borders, I don’t think there’s anything strong with that, and frankly, this country better get smart or we’re not going to have a country. As I said, we’re a dumping ground for the rest of the world and we have got to create a border. You don’t have a country without a border. You know, what’s a country? How do you define a country if you don’t have borders.”
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