What he called them · 2016 campaign · № 36
Read the lyrics of 'The Snake' at rallies as a parable about letting refugees and migrants in
“"Oh shut up, silly woman," said the reptile with a grin "You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in. Does that makes sense to anybody? Does that make any sense?”
- Said
- , Campaign rally, Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Subject
- Refugees and migrants
- Target
- Immigrants
- Topic
- Immigration
- Era
- 2016 campaign
What happened
Trump introduced the lyrics, from a song recorded by Al Wilson, by saying 'we have a little situation that could be a Trojan horse,' citing the New Year's Eve assaults in Cologne, Germany. He kept reading it as president, dedicating it to the Border Patrol and ICE in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 29, 2017. He used it again at CPAC in 2018, in Manchester, New Hampshire, in February 2020, and throughout the 2024 campaign. On October 3, 2026, in Vandalia, Ohio, he dedicated it to Springfield and said: 'That's what happened at our border.' The family of songwriter Oscar Brown Jr. has been reported to object to his use of it.
Sources
- Speech: Donald Trump in Cedar Falls, IA - January 12, 2016
- Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Political Rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - April 29, 2017
- Trump Read "The Snake" On His 100th Day As President As A Metaphor For Immigrants
- Speech: Donald Trump Holds a Midterm Political Rally in Vandalia, Ohio - October 3, 2026