GOP campaign chair disses Trump's wall Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner says 'a wall is not the right way to proceed.'

Another Republican senator is throwing cold water on President Donald Trump's proposed border wall.

Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, stated his opposition to a physical wall in fairly explicit terms during a telephone town hall Wednesday night.


"As far as the wall goes, I believe we have to have border security, but I do think billions of dollars on a wall is not the right way to proceed," Gardner told a constituent, according to audio obtained by POLITICO. "I don't support a tariff to pay for any kind of wall."

If constructed, Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is expected, by some estimates, to cost $14 billion, if not much more.

Gardner told reporters last month that he didn't think the wall was "the best idea," but he was more emphatic in his comments Wednesday night.

"We do need security on the border," Gardner said. "That may mean personnel. It may mean a fence. That may mean an electronic fence," the first-term lawmaker said. "But we shouldn't just build a wall and add billions of dollars because that's what somebody said should be done."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also scoffed Thursday morning at Trump's claim that he will be able to get Mexico to pay for the wall.

"Uh, no," McConnell said.