Donald Trump Jr has defended the hard-line stance on immigration his father took during Tuesday night's State of the Union Address, describing the first family as the product of an "incredible immigrant story" in an interview with Fox News.
The 41-year-old first son warned of immigration causing a decline in America's allegedly crumbling public school and health care systems while claiming his father was "all for immigration" — albeit with several exceptions.
"My mom is an immigrant. My father's mom is an immigrant, we've lived an incredible immigrant story — and a success story — in this country," the first son said on Wednesday morning. "That said, we can't just haphazardly let everyone come in, let everyone come into a system that they're likely to never pay into, where they're going to destroy our school systems, which are already so overburdened."
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"Our health care system, the same thing; you know, we want to be compassionate, we want to help everyone, but we have to help our own people first," he added. "Once we deal with all of those problems, then we can deal with the rest of the world."
The interview followed Donald Trump's second State of the Union address to a joint-session of the US Congress in which the president renewed his vows to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and made exaggerated claims about immigrant violence across the country.
1/22 Nancy Pelosi's 'sarcastic' clapping stole Trump's thunder
For many the president's speech was overshadowed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's applause after his call for political unity, which many interpreted as "sarcastic"
AFP/Getty
2/22 Trump issues ominous threat over investigations as he rails against immigration and abortion
In a State of the Union speech calling on Washington to cast aside "revenge, resistance and retribution", Donald Trump was accused of issuing a veiled threat over the investigations dogging his administration. "An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations," Mr Trump said
AFP/Getty
3/22
Congresswomen, dressed in white in tribute to the women's suffrage movement, pose for a photo as they arrive
AFP/Getty Images
4/22
The 72-year-old harkened back to American achievements, celebrating the moon landing as astronaut Buzz Aldrin looked on from the audience and heralding the liberation of Europe from the Nazis
AFP/Getty
5/22
He also led the House chamber in singing happy birthday to a Holocaust survivor sitting with first lady Melania Trump. "Together, we represent the most extraordinary nation in all of history. What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered?" Mr Trump said
Getty
6/22
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – dressed in white in an act of solidarity with other women – declined to join a standing ovation for Donald Trump despite his purported call for "unity"
Reuters
7/22
The president ticked through a litany of issues with crossover appeal, including boosting infrastructure, lowering prescription drug costs and combating childhood cancer
Getty
8/22
Republican Veronica Escobar reacts as President Trump claims that El Paso, Texas, has become safer due to a wall along the border with Mexico
Reuters
9/22
Despite no one working in the White House Office of National Aids Policy, and having sacking his HIV advisory council last year, Mr Trump pledged to inject funds to stop the spread of the disease in America by 2030
Getty Images
10/22
"Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach," the president said. "Together, we will defeat Aids in America and beyond." he said
Reuters
11/22
Trump led the House chamber in singing happy birthday to a Holocaust survivor sitting with first lady Melania
Reuters
12/22
He also appealed to his political base, both with his harsh rhetoric on immigration and a call for Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the "late-term abortion of children"
EPA
13/22
Women from both political parties wore white outfits tonight at the behest of the Democratic Womens Working Group to honor the legacy of women's suffrage in the United States
AFP/Getty
14/22
He devoted much of his speech to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly distanced themselves from the White House
EPA
15/22
Trump greets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, alongside Vice President Mike Pence
AFP/Getty
16/22
US First lady Melania Trump (left) with Grace Eline and Joshua Trump, special guests of President Donald Trump
AFP/Getty
17/22
Trump announced details of a second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, outlining a summit in Vietnam starting on 27 February
AFP/Getty
18/22
"If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea," he said
AFP/Getty
19/22
Getty
20/22
Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch laugh
AFP/Getty
21/22
President Trump greets lawmakers after delivering his second State of the Union address
EPA
22/22
Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders holds his notes
EPA
1/22 Nancy Pelosi's 'sarcastic' clapping stole Trump's thunder
For many the president's speech was overshadowed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's applause after his call for political unity, which many interpreted as "sarcastic"
AFP/Getty
2/22 Trump issues ominous threat over investigations as he rails against immigration and abortion
In a State of the Union speech calling on Washington to cast aside "revenge, resistance and retribution", Donald Trump was accused of issuing a veiled threat over the investigations dogging his administration. "An economic miracle is taking place in the United States — and the only thing that can stop it are foolish wars, politics or ridiculous partisan investigations," Mr Trump said
AFP/Getty
3/22
Congresswomen, dressed in white in tribute to the women's suffrage movement, pose for a photo as they arrive
AFP/Getty Images
4/22
The 72-year-old harkened back to American achievements, celebrating the moon landing as astronaut Buzz Aldrin looked on from the audience and heralding the liberation of Europe from the Nazis
AFP/Getty
5/22
He also led the House chamber in singing happy birthday to a Holocaust survivor sitting with first lady Melania Trump. "Together, we represent the most extraordinary nation in all of history. What will we do with this moment? How will we be remembered?" Mr Trump said
Getty
6/22
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – dressed in white in an act of solidarity with other women – declined to join a standing ovation for Donald Trump despite his purported call for "unity"
Reuters
7/22
The president ticked through a litany of issues with crossover appeal, including boosting infrastructure, lowering prescription drug costs and combating childhood cancer
Getty
8/22
Republican Veronica Escobar reacts as President Trump claims that El Paso, Texas, has become safer due to a wall along the border with Mexico
Reuters
9/22
Despite no one working in the White House Office of National Aids Policy, and having sacking his HIV advisory council last year, Mr Trump pledged to inject funds to stop the spread of the disease in America by 2030
Getty Images
10/22
"Scientific breakthroughs have brought a once-distant dream within reach," the president said. "Together, we will defeat Aids in America and beyond." he said
Reuters
11/22
Trump led the House chamber in singing happy birthday to a Holocaust survivor sitting with first lady Melania
Reuters
12/22
He also appealed to his political base, both with his harsh rhetoric on immigration and a call for Congress to pass legislation to prohibit the "late-term abortion of children"
EPA
13/22
Women from both political parties wore white outfits tonight at the behest of the Democratic Womens Working Group to honor the legacy of women's suffrage in the United States
AFP/Getty
14/22
He devoted much of his speech to foreign policy, another area where Republicans have increasingly distanced themselves from the White House
EPA
15/22
Trump greets Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, alongside Vice President Mike Pence
AFP/Getty
16/22
US First lady Melania Trump (left) with Grace Eline and Joshua Trump, special guests of President Donald Trump
AFP/Getty
17/22
Trump announced details of a second meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, outlining a summit in Vietnam starting on 27 February
AFP/Getty
18/22
"If I had not been elected president of the United States, we would right now, in my opinion, be in a major war with North Korea," he said
AFP/Getty
19/22
Getty
20/22
Supreme Court Justices John Roberts, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch laugh
AFP/Getty
21/22
President Trump greets lawmakers after delivering his second State of the Union address
EPA
22/22
Independent Senator from Vermont Bernie Sanders holds his notes
EPA
"Working-class Americans are left to pay the price for mass illegal migration — reduced jobs, lower wages, overburdened schools, hospitals so crowded you can't get in, increased crime, and a depleted social safety net," Mr Trump said on Tuesday night.
Numerous studies have revealed immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than the native-born US population, including both undocumented and legal immigrants.
Watch more
"I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever," he added, reportedly going off the transcript and against White House proposals which have sought a reduction in legal immigration. "But they have to come in legally."
Still, the president's son reiterated those claims on Wednesday, suggesting the rest of the world uses merit-based immigration programmes and lambasting the Democratic Party for its "out of touch" stance on illegal immigration.
"It's amazing that we're having these arguments today," he said. "Democrats are so out of touch. And, you know, their motives are not pure.
Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade concluded the interview by saying the first son "clearly" would have "a great political future should he ever run."