US veteran raises $7 million for Trump’s border wall

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - A U.S. Air Force veteran has raised nearly $7 million so far to help pay for the construction of President Donald Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee and Purple Heart recipient, launched a campaign on the online crowdfunding platform GoFundMe this week and amassed millions of dollars in just a few days. His fundraising goal is $1 billion.

He noted in a statement that if every person who voted for Trump in the 2016 presidential election pledged $80, the entire $5 billion needed to build the wall could be raised.

Kolfage served two tours during the Iraq war, where he became a triple amputee after getting injured in a rocket attack in 2004.

He said a point of contact had been established with the Trump administration on where to send the funds.

"The government has accepted large private donations before. Most recently, a billionaire donated $7.5 million to fund half of the Washington Monument’s repairs in 2012; this is no different," Kolfage said in a statement.