President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration policies made their way to the White House lawn on Wednesday, when he stopped to ask workers who helped install massive flagpoles at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. about their immigration status.
The remarks, appearing to be made in jest, came after a reporter asked the president about his administration’s deportation efforts.
“We’re taking them out by the thousands. Murderers, drug dealers, people that are mentally insane, from insane asylums,” Trump began before turning to the row of hard hat-wearing construction workers standing behind him during the press conference.
“Do we have anybody here who’s a member of — no, I don’t think so. You’ve known these people for a long time?” he asked. “Any illegal immigrants?”
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The construction workers shook their heads, with a few chuckling, when Trump added, “If there were, we’ll find out.”
“Your whole life will be destroyed because of this press conference. They’ll destroy these people. I didn’t want to tell them that before they stood up,” Trump said.
“Don’t worry, I think you’re gonna be OK,” the president told the workers.
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The press conference on Wednesday came after the workers erected two 88-foot-tall flagpoles, one on the North Lawn and one on the South Lawn, at Trump’s direction.
Trump said in a social media post on Tuesday that the flagpoles were a gift from him to the White House, which he said “was always missing from this magnificent place.”
“These are the most magnificent poles made – They are tall, tapered, rust proof, rope inside the pole, and of the highest quality,” Trump wrote. “Hopefully, they will proudly stand at both sides of the White House for many years to come!”
Trump’s comments come as the president has instructed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to do “all in their power” to oversee the largest mass deportation program in history.
“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” Trump wrote in a lengthy social media post over the weekend.
