Phoenix – Former Congressman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon recently appeared on KYMA News 11 / KECY ABC 5 in Yuma.

Salmon spoke with Samantha Byrd about the forward-thinking border security initiative that he released on Friday called Operation Copper Shield. The initiative will allow Salmon to defend Arizona's sovereignty and secure the U.S.-Mexico border in his first 100 days in the governor's office by deploying 1,200 armed National Guard troops and investing millions of dollars in county sheriffs, prosecutors, and other law enforcement officials.

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You can read a transcript of the television segment below:

JENNY DAY:
"Republican gubernatorial candidate Matt Salmon visited Yuma on May 16th, where he announced a new initiative that would serve as the centerpiece of his Arizona border security plan. Samantha Byrd reports."

SAMANTHA BYRD:
"Matt Salmon is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative from Arizona from 1995 to 2001 and again from 2013 to 2017. Salmon has visited Yuma 15 times and took the time to tour the southern border several of those times, which is why he decided to make Operation Copper Shield his plan to secure the border."

MATT SALMON:
"[It] would deploy 1,200 armed National Guard at the border to make sure that we first and foremost tell those people crossing the border that they need to go back from where they came and, if they proceed, it's likely they're going to be arrested."

SAMANTHA BYRD:
"He says he plans to declare a State of Emergency, triggering emergency funding for the mission and granting additional powers to the military under his command."

MATT SALMON:
"Right from Day One, declare a State of Emergency at the border as governor and call a special session of the state legislature and ask for a $200 million appropriation."

SAMANTHA BYRD:
"Saying constant and visible presence of military forces would immediately restrict border access in Arizona and could result in criminals halting their drug and human smuggling crimes within the state."

MATT SALMON:
"We need to use every tool in our tool belt and stop counting on the federal government to solve the problem. We've got to stand up as a state and solve our own problems, because the federal government is not going to do it."