Fox News Host Argues Against Border Wall Using Racial Stereotypes

In urging President Donald Trump to put aside his signature campaign promise to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Fox News host Geraldo Rivera on Monday relied on racial stereotypes to make his point.

In a tweet, Rivera argued that the wall would not address border security problems such as drug smuggling, but it would “keep out gardeners, baby sitters, pizza delivery boys, dishwashers and fruit pickers.”

During his campaign, Trump repeatedly denigrated Mexican immigrants, saying that building the border wall would keep out “the bad ones” and characterizing Mexicans as “criminals” and “rapists.”

Mexico’s government has repeatedly said that it would not pay for the wall, and the Trump administration now wants taxpayers to foot the bill, including partial funding for it in the administration’s proposed budget. This week, amid a looming deadline to fund the government, Democrats have threatened a government shutdown over the proposed funding for the wall.

Trump continues to insist that Mexico will pay for the wall’s construction “eventually, but at a later date,” as he tweeted on Sunday.