WATCH: CNN panel laughs in the face of Trump backer who claims Mexicans are 'invading' the US
After former Trump campaign operative Steve Cortes made a bold and inaccurate claim about Mexicans staging a "soft invasion" at America's southern border, CNN host Erin Burnett and national security analyst Juliette Kayyem couldn't refrain from laughing.
While discussing President Donald Trump's apparent mixup between the National Guard service members who guard the southern border and active duty military officers, Kayyem, who previously served as an official with the Department of Homeland Security, said she'd give Trump the benefit of the doubt for his "confusion." Cortes then responded by suggesting the U.S. should send military to Mexico — and hilarity ensued.
"What I'm saying, and I think the president would concur with me on this," the former Trump campaign aide said, "is there has been a soft invasion of the United States."
"Invasion?" Burnett asked him incredulously. "You're gonna use the word 'invasion'?"
Cortes doubled down, saying that Mexico didn't send an army, but that its citizens undertook "a soft invasion of illegal immigration."
After Kayyem questioned Cortes' claim and asked him if Trump should overrule White House chief of staff John Kelly, who oversaw U.S. Southern Command and had once before corrected the president when he erroneously claimed there were soldiers guarding the American border with Mexico, the former campaign aide appeared to trip over his words.
"[Trump] was given this mandate," Cortes said. "He didn't assume this mandate. He was given it by the American people, and he was crystal clear on this issue."
Watch below, via CNN: