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Chip Roy gets all handwavy during a recent tirade defending drug company profit-taking.
According to a story from news site Border Report, Breitbart's Brandon Darby, a former campaign strategist for President Donald Trump, did most of the questioning during Roy's event in the South Texas town of Edinburg. A second Breitbart staffer, Ildefonso Ortiz, sat on the panel to discuss drugs and human trafficking.
For those in need of a reminder, Breitbart is the outlet once helmed by former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon. In addition to giving a platform to alt-right provocateurs like Milo Yiannopoulos, the site has a lengthy history of posting race-baiting and misogynistic content.
Roy — who made headlines in May for singlehandedly delaying a $4 billion aid package to help hurricane-ravaged communities — represents San Antonio, Austin and the Texas Hill Country.
A Roy staffer told Border Report that Breitbart would have "exclusivity for coverage" of the panel discussion and no other reporters would be allowed. Even so, a Border Report staffer was permitted inside after it began.
Republican Congressmen Andy Biggs and Michael Cloud were also scheduled to appear at the roundtable. However, Roy's office told the news site the pair backed out because they needed to catch flights back from the border.
During the panel, Roy repeatedly harped on the need to finish Trump's border wall, according to Border Report. He also said allowing asylum seekers into the country promotes illegal immigration.
“We’re encouraging the harm in the false name of compassion,” Roy said.
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