Columbia News

U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO) appeared on Fox News’ Ingraham Angle to discuss recent actions by the Trump administration targeting narco-terrorist drug cartels and efforts to address violent crime in the United States.

During the interview, Schmitt commented on President Trump’s approach: “Well, I think this is an acknowledgement by the Trump administration. But what’s actually happening is [that] these terrorist organizations have declared war on America. The drugs that they send here kill over 100,000 Americans every year. So, President Trump has taken on problems that people thought were intractable — like crime in DC, right? We’ve seen real gains there, solving the border problem. We’ve effectively closed the border. So, what’s happening now is these terrorist organizations that used to move by land — and have their distribution channels on land — they’re now in the open seas. What President Trump, I think, is signaling here is — if you’re going to do that, we’re going to blow your boats out of the water. We don’t need to take you to trial. If you’re a criminal organization that’s trying to kill Americans, we’re going to treat you that way. And remember, this isn’t like some random drug dealer in the movie Dazed and Confused, this are criminal organizations hell bent on making a lot of money and harming a lot of people.”

Schmitt also criticized the Biden administration’s handling of border security: “The tragedy of all this, Laura, is [that] for four years, the Biden administration threw open the borders and acted like there wasn’t anything they could do about it. Meanwhile, 20 million people came here illegally, and these cartels were running the show. Americans were getting poorer. They were getting richer. I was down there. The economic value of the human trafficking alone was $100 million a week. A week! So, it’s time that somebody stood up. President Trump has arrived on the scene once again, and I think we’re going to have a secure border and treat these individuals as they should be. Which are terrorists.”

Addressing Democratic policies regarding crime enforcement, Schmitt stated: “And you listen to the language that she uses — it’s unhinged. I really think this is a symptom of Trump Derangement Syndrome. President Trump wants to crack down on crime, and they’re just harboring these criminals and making excuses. But I got news for you: It’s not 2020 anymore. Nobody wants to hear that. They want safe communities, especially the people in those communities. And we had the DC Police Union Chief [Gregg Pemberton] in front of the Judiciary Committee this week — I asked him, what lessons can be learned about what happened in DC? And he answered very simply, which is the truth, there’s no substitute for a police presence and prosecutions. That’s what we need. And the ICE agents who are serving this country deserve the respect and the space that they need to carry out their jobs. Not these leftist politicians calling for action against them.”

The discussion comes amid ongoing national debate over border security measures and law enforcement policies.