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By Mandy Taheri
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Christian nationalist Pastor Joel Webbon, who supported President-elect Donald Trump "in order to honor Christ," said on a Right Response Ministries podcast Wednesday that shooting and killing migrants is the "more merciful option."
During an almost two-hour video podcast episode, Webbon spoke about immigration policy and border security, arguing that "Biblical Justice" means punishing a few, while the "rest stand in fear."
Webbon, the president and founder of the Texas-based Right Response Ministries, has previously argued that women should not have the right to vote and that Christian parents are "failing in their duties to protect and provide for their children," by living in a predominantly blue state, such as California. He also serves as the senior pastor at Covenant Bible Church in Georgetown, Texas.
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In a Right Response Ministries episode posted on November 13, Webbon argued, "for the next 20 to 25 years there should be virtually zero immigration, and I'm not talking about illegal, I'm talking about legal. No immigration," to the United States.
Immigration and border security were top issues for voters during the 2024 election last week, with Republicans overperforming Democrats. Trump secured his second term last week after beating out the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, by securing 312 Electoral College votes and the popular vote. Republicans also won a majority in the House and the Senate.
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged mass deportations and to be tough on immigration.
During his first term, Trump's 2017 border wall policy aimed to construct a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border to curb illegal immigration and enhance national security. It involved reallocating federal funds, using existing barriers, and promoting stricter immigration enforcement. It faced legal challenges and significant political debate throughout his presidency.
Republicans have promised to resume construction of the wall to curb the flow of migration, and GOP lawmakers argue it will deter human and drug traffickers.
However, while Webbon frequently reposts Trump and vice-president-elect JD Vance's social media posts, Webbon's ideas and remarks are far outside of Trump's and other Republican leaders proposed policies. There are no proposed policy to shoot and kill migrants.
Newsweek has reached out to Trump's press team for comment via email on Friday.
In the episode, Webbon continued that the United States' needs a border wall, "We need guys on that wall, standing on top of that wall and if someone starts to approach the wall, there needs to be a warning 'back away,' if they don't listen to the warning they need to be shot and killed."
Webbon said that killing some migrants "will be the more merciful option."
"What will end up happening is you'll have a handful of people that will get killed and then thousands of people that don't experience the misery of coming and then having to be removed and families split up," he said.
"That is the way Biblical Justice is done, one is punished and the rest stand in fear, that's the Bible's model," he argued.
He said that this "threat of death" would nearly eliminate all immigration.
Webbon reposted a video segment of his comments on X, formerly Twitter. He has over 25,500 followers.
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