Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D., Wash.) accused President Donald Trump of using his proposal for a southern border wall to advance a racist agenda, during a Thursday appearance on MSNBC's "All In."
"His ultimate goal is, as you said, to make America pure, in the sense of not having immigrants, not having folks of color here, and shutting down every form of legal immigration," she said.
Jayapal's comment came in response to host Chris Hayes' assertion that supporters of the border wall wanted an "ethnically pure America."
Jayapal went on to say that Trump's rhetoric about immigration and the border wall is bringing "real damage, not only to real people but also to our soul and our psyche." She also said Republicans in Congress favor a reduction in all forms of immigration.
"This has never been about undocumented immigrants coming across the border," she said. "It has always been about limiting legal immigration, unless you happen to be a house keeper that's working in Mar-a-Lago on [Trump's] grounds and maybe that's different."
Jayapal concluded by saying Trump's supporters are "white supremacists" who encourage a racist policy.
"It is a long-time agenda of these white supremacists who are fueling him at the base, and that is what is so disturbing," she said. "It's not about a wall, not about security."