Joint Interagency Task Force-South

Key West, Florida

1:13 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank our great military leaders. This was an education. We’re talking about drugs and stopping these drugs and other things — human trafficking and so many other forms of trafficking.

I want to thank Secretary Nielsen. You’re doing a fantastic job. It is a very tough situation. You look at the thousands and thousands of people that are going in 15 different directions from different countries, using the Pacific, using the Caribbean, using everything they can use to get through. But you have done, really, an incredible job.

And we want to thank you — everybody — the Coast Guard, everybody. You’ve really worked hard. It’s a thankless job in many ways, but in other ways it’s a — really, something that the people of the United States very much appreciate.

Drugs are flowing into our country. We need border protection; we need the wall. We have to have the wall. The Democrats don’t want to approve a wall because they think it’s good politically, but it’s not. Looking at what’s happening in California with sanctuary cities where the people are really going the opposite way. They don’t want sanctuary cities. And there’s a little bit of a revolution going on in California.

So it’s a — people are really appreciating the work that you’re doing on stopping drugs from pouring into this country. And we can’t emphasize enough: not only drugs. The drugs are a big factor, but you look at — human trafficking is worse than it’s ever been in the history of this world. And who would think in this modern-day age? And they’re using very sophisticated equipment, and they use the Internet better than practically anybody uses the Internet. So it really is a big problem.

But I just want to thank everybody. That was an incredible education, and we are behind you all the way. Thank you very much.

END

1:15 P.M. EDT