Students on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C., reacted with disgust when they were read quotes regarding illegal immigration and the border wall that they thought came from President Trump.
"I just really think it's hateful speech," said one.
It turned out, however, that Campus Reform's Cabot Phillips was reading them the words of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Secretary of State Hillary of Clinton and President Barack Obama.
Campus Reform produced the video capturing the student responses amid the partial government shutdown over the budget impasse. The shutdown centers on Democratic opposition to President Trump's request for $5.7 billion in border security.
While top Democratic leaders once condemned illegal immigration and favored a border barrier, now they insist it is a wasteful proposal and even, in the estimation of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, "immoral."
The quotes read to the students:
"Illegal Immigration is wrong, plain and simple. Until the American people are convinced we will stop future flows of illegal immigration, we will make no progress." -- Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. (2009)
"We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented and unchecked." -- Barack Obama (2005)
"I voted numerous times ... to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in. And I do think you have to control your borders." -- Hillary Clinton (2008)
The students interviewed used words such as "dehumanizing," "problematic" and "jingoist" in response to the quotes.
One student, assuming the quotes came from Trump, said "the way he's referring to people across the wall is dehumanizing."
Another student said "there are racial biases deeply embedded in there."