This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
President Trump's speech at the Shale Insight Conference in Pittsburgh on Wednesday was filled with familiar talking points, but one comment stood out as a gaffe: his mention of building a wall in Colorado.
"We're building a wall on the border of New Mexico, and we're building a wall in Colorado," he said, sparking confusion among the audience. "We're building a beautiful wall, a big one that really works, that you can't get over, you can't get under."
However, Colorado is hundreds of miles north of the US-Mexico border, and the state's governor, Jared Polis, was quick to point out the error on Twitter. "Well this is awkward," he wrote. "Colorado doesn't border Mexico. Good thing Colorado now offers free full day kindergarten so our kids can learn basic geography."
Mr. Trump later attempted to clarify his comments, suggesting that he had mentioned Colorado "kiddingly" and that he had also mentioned Kansas as a place where a wall would not be built.
"Refered to people in the very packed auditorium, from Colorado & Kansas, getting the benefit of the Border Wall!" he tweeted.
Despite the gaffe, Mr. Trump's comments on building a wall along the US-Mexico border remain a central part of his platform, and he has repeatedly called for a complete shutdown of the southern border.
Published on October 24, 2019, at 8:46 PM ET.
