Donald Trump (left) and Mark Zuckerberg. (Photos: Getty Images)
On Tuesday Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg criticized what he called “fearful voices” that want to build walls.
Although Zuckerberg, who made his comments at a Facebook conference of developers, did not name presidential candidate Donald Trump, his remarks did not sit well with the GOP presidiential candidate’s campaign.
On Wednesday, Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson said Zuckerberg lives so far outside reality that he fails to see the detrimental effect of illegal immigration on the lives of people who live along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I think I’ll take Mark Zuckerberg seriously when he gives up all of his private security, moves out of his posh neighborhood and comes live in a modest neighborhood near a border town,” Pierson said in an interview on CNBC. “And then I’m sure his attitude would change.”
While Trump hardly is the only Republican candidate who has ever pushed for tightened border security, USA Today noted, the billionaire real estate mogul has made it practically a centerpiece of his campaign.
Zuckerberg has for years pressed for comprehensive immigration reform that would include a way for undocumented immigrants to legalize their status.
"I hear fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as 'others,'" Zuckerberg said at the conference. "For blocking free expression, for slowing immigration, reducing trade and, in some cases around the world, even cutting access to the Internet."
"It takes courage to choose hope over fear," Zuckerberg said. "People will always call you naive, but it’s this hope and this optimism that's behind every important step forward."
CNBC asked Pierson whether the depiction of Zuckerberg as a sheltered member of the elite wouldn’t also apply to Trump – who has said he is worth billions.
“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 repliec. “Mark Zuckerberg talked about hope over fear. That doesn’t save lives.”
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