On Thursday, Alabama Republican U.S. Senate frontrunner Mike Durant spoke to the Azalea City Republican Women at Heron Lakes Country Club, capping off a series of events in which Durant participated in the Port City.
Durant laid out his priorities as a potential member of the U.S. Senate, which included a focus on military issues, including those directly related to Alabama, so-called energy independence and how he would address the problems stemming from illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The U.S. Army veteran argued the key to U.S. immigration policy was the border wall, a top campaign issue for former President Donald Trump during the 2016 cycle.
"The other priority for me is building the wall," Durant said. "If you're watching the news, one of the things that should trouble you deeply is the drugs that are coming across the border. For the first time in recorded history, the leading cause of death for adult males 18 to 45 is drug overdose. And most of that is fentanyl. And most of the fentanyl is coming through the southern border. It is absolutely a critical issue that we get that border secured. We were well on our way, and that all got shut down under this current administration. We've got to get that back going in."
Durant called the border wall a "five-meter target," meaning it was one of the priorities that needed to be addressed first.
"The wall is a great example of a five-meter target because you can do it," Durant said. "The resources are there. The will is there. All we've got to do is get the right legislation in place, get the money allocated, and we get that thing done."
He added he plans to speak to the U.S. Border Patrol for policy prescriptions, something he described as listening to people at the "point of the spear."
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