The day after Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticized those who, like Donald Trump, have called for building walls, the Trump campaign fired back.
Appearing on CNBC, Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson painted Zuckerberg as an insulated billionaire who doesn’t understand the danger posed by illegal immigration.
“I think I’ll take Mark Zuckerberg seriously when he gives up all of his private security, move out of his posh neighborhood and come live in a modest neighborhood near a border town,” Pierson said Wednesday. “And then I’m sure his attitude would change.”
Zuckerberg didn’t mention Trump by name during his Tuesday remarks, given at Facebook’s yearly developers conference.
Nor is Trump the only candidate running who’s called for a wall — Ted Cruz has also called for building “a wall that works.”
Still, Trump has made the wall a central tenet of his campaign, and many interpreted Zuckerberg’s comment as a veiled critique of the GOP front-runner.
"I hear fearful voices calling for building walls," Zuckerberg told a packed conference room of developers and media. "Instead of building walls, we can help people build bridges."
Later on Wednesday, Pierson was asked on CNBC whether her critique of Zuckerberg as a privileged CEO who has private security and a safe mansion couldn’t also apply to Trump.
“Yeah, but Donald Trump isn’t the one that’s saying we shouldn’t build a wall and we shouldn’t protect everyone else,” Pierson said.
“Mark Zuckerberg talked about hope over fear,” Pierson said. “That doesn’t save lives.”
Watch the segment below:
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