1. "I'm really good at killing people. Didn't know that was going to be a strong suit of mine."
a. President Donald Trump, 2019
b. President Barack Obama, 2012
2. "But, let me tell you, we can build a fence 40 stories high -- unless you change the dynamic in Mexico and -- and you will not like this, and -- punish American employers who knowingly violate the law when, in fact, they hire illegals. Unless you do those two things, all the rest is window dressing."
a. President Donald Trump, 2017
b. Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.), 2006
3. "Today, I will issue a national security memorandum directing every Federal department and agency to do even more to stop the flow of narcotics -- including fentanyl -- into our country. It will increase intelligence collection on traffickers' evolving tactics to smuggle narcotics into our country. And it will help our law enforcement personnel seize more deadly drugs before they reach our communities."
a. President Donald Trump, 2025
b. President Joe Biden, 2024
4. "The United States and the world faced a choice. (The dictator) declared he would show 'no mercy' to his own people. He compared them to rats and threatened to go door to door to inflict punishment. In the past, we have seen him hang civilians in the streets and kill over a thousand people in a single day. It was not in our national interest to let that (massacre) happen. I refused to let that happen."
a. President Donald Trump, 2026, about Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro
b. President Barack Obama, 2011, about Libya's Muammar Gaddafi
5. "We simply cannot allow people to pour into the United States undetected, undocumented, unchecked, and circumventing the line of people who are waiting patiently, diligently, and lawfully to become immigrants in this country."
a. President Donald Trump, 2025
b. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), 2005
6. "Real reform means stronger border security ... putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years."
a. President Donald Trump, 2026
b. President Barack Obama, 2013
7. "Illegal immigration is wrong, plain and simple. ... People who enter the United States without our permission are illegal aliens and illegal aliens should not be treated the same as people who enter the U.S. legally... Until the American people are convinced that we will stop future flows of illegal immigration we will make no progress on dealing with the millions of illegal immigrants who are here now...When we use phrases like undocumented workers we convey a message to the American people that their government is not serious about combating illegal immigration. If you don't think it's illegal, you're not going to say it. I think it is illegal and wrong."
a. President Donald Trump, 2017
b. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), 2009
8. "Because we do need to address the issue of immigration and the challenge we have of undocumented people in our country. We certainly don't want any more coming in."
a. President Donald Trump, 2019
b. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), 2008
9. "All Americans ... are rightly disturbed by the large numbers of illegal aliens entering our country. ... We are a nation of immigrants. But we are also a nation of laws."
a. President Donald Trump, 2020
b. President Bill Clinton, 1995
10. "I think we can enforce our borders. I think we should enforce our borders."
a. President Donald Trump, 2018
b. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), 1994
11. "If making it easy to be an illegal alien isn't enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant? No sane country would do that. Right? ... If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship..."
a. President Donald Trump, 2017
b. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), 1993
12. "A biometric-based employment verification system with tough enforcement and auditing is necessary to significantly diminish the job magnet that attracts illegal aliens to the United States..."
a. President Donald Trump, 2020
b. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), 2009
Hint: If it's not too late, consider betting on "b."
Larry Elder is a bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk-show host. To find out more about Larry Elder, or become an "Elderado," visit www.LarryElder.com. Follow Larry on X @larryelder.
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