The viral GoFundMe page set up “fund the wall” proposed by President Donald Trump has reached $12 million as of Dec. 21, as hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations, are pouring in by the hour.
A day earlier, an anonymous donor put down $50,000 and another individual donated $17,000. Three other people donated $10,000, and another person donated $9,000, according to the page. A number of people made $5,000 donations in the past day.
Meanwhile, about 200,000 people have donated.
Brian Kolfage, a triple-amputee Air Force veteran who received the Purple Heart, started the GoFundMe earlier this week.
On Dec. 20, he appeared on Fox News’ Laura Ingraham’s show. To critics of his GoFundMe page, who say he won’t be able to make the $1 billion goal, he said, “They’re full of crap.”
“This is the United States, and we can do anything we want,” he added. “If people want to donate to that wall … what’s $80 for 60 million people.”
“This is not just about Republicans and conservatives,” he said, “there’s an outpouring of Democrats that are messaging me and giving to his wall fund.”
It’s a movement, we are changing course of political history by not sitting and doing nothing… talk is cheap. Put your money where your mouth is. #GoFundTheWall https://t.co/NMPftwYnZL
— Brian Kolfage (@BrianKolfage) December 21, 2018
“This is America coming together; they want the wall,” he said.
Ingraham brought up reports that some of his Facebook accounts were blocked by the social media giant.
“I’m not allowed on Facebook anymore. My company, Military Grade Coffee Company, was outright banned,” he said. “Facebook executives told me I’m not allowed to use it.”
Kolfage alleged his wife was told by Facebook that the firm would delete her account if it detects his activity.
“I don’t use Facebook anymore,” he said, adding that he’s taken to Twitter. “It’s ridiculous the way these companies treat people … Americans are not just happy” about it.
He said the wall and security is a “very important part of our nation” and “sovereignty.”
Regarding attacks against his character on social media, “they’re going to attack me; they’re going to attack my family,” he said, referencing the “liberal media.”
But, “We’re not stopping, we’re going to keep pushing this through, we’re going to see how this plays out. Americans aren’t happy,” he reiterated.
Viral GoFundMe
By the morning of Dec. 20, his GoFundMe hit $4 million, and by the late afternoon, it was standing at $7 million. On Dec. 19, more than $2 million was donated by 34,000 people, according to Fox News.
“If the 63 million people who voted for Trump each pledge $80, we can build the wall,” Kolfage said on the page. He added that it equates to about $5 billion and said that “even if we get half, that’s half the wall.” He added, “We can do this.”
Do you think our Gofundme campaign changed @realDonaldTrump mind on the wall and government shutdown? I believe it did…. We need to keep the pressure on and keep showing America what we want! DONATE NOW! #GoFundTheWall https://t.co/h4K1VZWToC
— Brian Kolfage (@BrianKolfage) December 21, 2018
One-hundred percent of the donations “will go to the Trump Wall,” he said, adding that he’s “working with a law firm on a legal document that will bind the government to [use] the funds for the border wall itself, nothing else.”
GoFundMe said it is paying attention to the campaign.
“The funds are safely held by our payment processor and we will work with the organizer to transfer funds to an appropriate recipient or refund all donors, as stated in the campaign story,” a GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed to People magazine on Dec. 20.
Wounded Vet
According to his website, Kolfage lost most of his limbs after a 107mm rocket shell exploded three feet from him in 2004 during the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
“Despite suffering multiple amputations and the looming possibility of death, Airman Kolfage still maintained incredible strength and courage throughout his recovery. The fact that no one with his level of amputation has ever been able to walk independently didn’t discourage him. With undiminished spirit, he still saw opportunities and worked with feverish determination through his physical therapy program, gaining strength and balance every day,” his website says.
About 11 months after he was hurt, Kolfage exited of the hospital.
Until “this day he is still the most severely wounded Airman to survive any war,” his website says. “After leaving the hospital he immediately continued his service to the Air Force, and was assigned to Davis Monthan AFB 355 SFS as the base security manager.”
The website says that he also maintained “incredible strength” through his recovery.
“The fact that no one with his level of amputation has ever been able to walk independently didn’t discourage him. With undiminished spirit, he still saw opportunities and worked with feverish determination through his physical therapy program, gaining strength and balance every day,” it says.
From The Epoch Times
