US oil pipeline to Mexico will go right under the wall: Trump

US President Donald Trump has approved construction of a new oil pipeline between the United States and Mexico, saying it will go “right under” the wall he vows to build along the border to stop Mexican immigrants entering the country.

“Today, I’m proudly announcing six brand new initiatives to propel this new era of American energy dominance,” said Thursday in prepared remarks at the Energy Department headquarters as part of the administration’s Energy Week.


“My administration has just approved construction of a new petroleum pipeline to Mexico, which will further boost American energy exports,” he added.

“And that’ll go right under the wall, right? It’s going under. Right? Have it go down a little deeper in that one section, you know, a little like this. Right under the wall,” he continued, as the audience laughed, as Trump repeatedly made a motion with his hand, pantomiming dipping under something.
Vice President Pence, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt had also joined Trump on the stage when he made these remarks.

Building a wall on the US-Mexico border to stop the influx of refugees and undocumented migrants coming from Central and Latin America was a hallmark of Trump's presidential campaign.

View of the metal fence along the border in Sonoyta, Sonora state, northern Mexico, between the Altar desert in Mexico and the Arizona desert in the United States, on March 27, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

During his campaign, Trump also characterized Mexican migrants living in the US as murderers and rapists and pledged to build a wall that he said Mexico would pay for.

Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto cancelled a scheduled meeting with Trump at the White House earlier this year after the new American leader pressured him to fund construction of the border wall.