EXCLUSIVE – Sheriff Joe Arpaio: ‘We Must Have That Wall,’ Deduct Foreign Aid to Mexico to Pay For It

NEW YORK – “We must have that wall,” declared Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa Country, Arizona during a radio interview last night.

While explaining he is not too concerned with who pays for the barrier, Arpaio posited the U.S. government should deduct foreign aid to Mexico if the neighboring country refuses to finance construction of the wall.

Arpaio, a Donald Trump supporter who has campaigned with the presidential candidate, was speaking in an interview on this reporter’s talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio,” broadcast on New York’s AM 970 The Answer and NewsTalk 990 AM.

Stated Arpaio:

“Here we have drugs coming into our country from Mexico destroying our young people with the heroin. And everybody, they get before that fence and they say, ‘Let’s stop the illegal immigration.’ I wish they would throw in the drug problem. Donald Trump has talked about drugs. The first one, way back. And so if for no other reason, that wall should be built to stop all of the drugs from coming into our country.

So if you have to put the wall up, let’s put it up. I’m not really concerned who pays for it. I know Donald wants Mexico to pay for it. If they don’t, just take away some of their foreign aid. Deduct the money from that and get it paid. But we must have that wall.”

According to ForeignAssistance.gov, the U.S. is planning to provide an estimated $134,664,000 in foreign assistance to Mexico in 2017.

Asked what he thought of Trump’s surprise visit to Mexico last week to meet with the country’s president, Enrique Peña Nieto, Arpaio replied:

“I think it was great. Let’s give him a lot of credit for being able to arrange that meeting and having the courage to go deep into the heart of Mexico. Mexico City… I think he should get a lot of credit just for going there.

By the way, where is Hillary? She was never there when she was Secretary of State. At least maybe she can pop in and say hello to the president but that’s another issue.”

The Sheriff slammed President Obama and Hillary Clinton, saying they failed to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants pouring across the U.S.-Mexico border. Arpaio was referring to period in which Clinton served as Secretary of State.

“I am just concerned that they really haven’t gone to Mexico,” he said of Obama and Clinton. “A few times. And put the emphasis on the Mexican government to do something to stop this problem over in Mexico. In the source country. And I just worry if she takes over that that’s going to continue. They just don’t want to embarrass the Mexican government on the drugs and the illegal immigration. That’s one concern that I have.”

Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.