State AG pledges to be 'fighter' if elected senator

State Attorney General Eric Schmitt told area Republicans he would fight against open borders and government overreach if elected to the U.S. Senate.

Schmitt, who is a candidate for the Republican nomination to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, spoke Thursday at a meeting of Southeast Missouri Pachyderms Club.

He blasted the Biden administration for its immigration policies -- which he termed a "total disaster" -- and claimed "porous" borders are a national security threat. He said immigration, combined with government overreach and election integrity, make the upcoming election for control of the Senate important. He blamed congressional Democrats for considering political issues he said were not "normal," including the idea of adding states.

"This next decade, in many ways, will be one of the most consequential in the history of our country. What type of country are we going to be?" he asked.

Schmitt touted a number of lawsuits he joined on the state's behalf, including one regarding social media platforms' ability to regulate content and another to eliminate face-covering mandates for students in public schools.

"You want somebody up there who is proven to be a fighter, who is not going to be afraid," he said. "This is a fight to save America."

After his brief remarks, Schmitt answered a number of questions and listened to comments from audience members. Several comments related to one of the other candidates seeking the GOP nomination, Eric Greitens, former governor who resigned from office amid a sex scandal. Schmitt did not refer to him by name but noted on several occasions a candidate "who quit."

"Missourians want a fighter and not somebody who quit," he contended.

Schmitt said he approved of the likelihood the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 ruling that protected abortion rights. He said he favors states having the ability to decide the issue -- "where it should have been in the first place."

He said he supports a balanced-budget amendment and would rein in federal regulators, espousing a prerequisite to eliminate a number of regulations before enacting a new one.

"We need to be unapologetic about who we are as a state. Missouri is a conservative state full of good people," he said. "I think you just have to be unafraid in these fights, because right is right."

Other announced Republican candidates for the seat include U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler and Mark McCloskey, a St. Louis lawyer who gained prominence during a confrontation with protesters in 2020.