President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that federal workers have told him that they support the ongoing government shutdown if it means funding for his border wall.

Twitter erupted.

“They understand what’s happening. They want border security,” Trump told reporters Tuesday morning (watch the video above). “Many of those workers have said to me and communicated, ‘Stay out until you get the funding for the wall.’ These federal workers want the wall.”

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have stopped working since nine federal departments and dozens of agencies shut down Saturday after Trump refused to sign a spending bill that didn’t include money for his border wall.

Many responding to Trump’s claim were skeptical about the existence of his border-supporting “federal workers.” Former New York U.S. attorney Preet Bharara joked on Twitter that the people Trump was referring to were the same 114-year-old parents of Korean War vets he claimed last summer that he had talked to before meeting with Kim Jong Un. Trump said then that “thousands and thousands” of parents of vets from the Korean War that ended 65 years ago had reached out to him to press for the return of remains.

I understand that many of these federal workers POTUS says are happily furloughed for the wall are the 114 year-old parents of Korean War veterans who also regularly talk to Donald Trump. https://t.co/2YXcTCzrJd — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) December 25, 2018

That got the ball rolling. One comment quipped that slavery fighter Frederick Douglass also wants the wall. Trump last year said that Douglass, who died in 1895, “has done an amazing job.”

Frederick Douglass wants the wall as well.https://t.co/h4x6fTueAb — Publius in Philly (@publiusPHL) December 25, 2018

There are a lot more federal workers than Stephen Miller. — Sterno (@gmstearns) December 25, 2018

They’re actually all Stephen Miller with different spray-on hairstyles. — Dan Clem (@tinisoli) December 25, 2018

He makes this stuff up as he goes — DonnaMarieJustMe (@me_donnamarie) December 25, 2018

This month I learned that Trump's tariffs lost me my biggest client and 80% of my annual income. Then my husband is furloughed due to the #TrumpShutdown. this is a very stressful time and believe me my husband does not want that wall — 🎁 Nancy 🎄 (@NancyCareyPR) December 25, 2018

It's hard to believe Trump actually tweeted that he will use the #shutdown money to build the wall; income for rent/bills that hardworking federal employees will never receive. #StealingfromtaxpayersAGAIN — Barb (@my2cnz) December 25, 2018

Friends in DHS NOT happy their holiday leave/sick leave is cancelled (USG won't let you take pre-approved leave after they shut down gov't--go figure). AND as emergency response officials, they have to work with no assurance next paycheck will arrive in time to pay rent. 😞🤬 — Art Keller (@ArtKeller) December 25, 2018

Some responding to Bharara’s comment referred to the Twitter hashtag “shutdown stories” revealing the financial crunch facing federal workers, like these:

My husband is active duty Coast Guard. Everyone thinks the military is getting paid during the shutdown, but the Coast Guard is facing no pay on the 1st due to being DHS and not DoD. We live in NYC, pay over $2K/month in rent, have a toddler and one on the way.#ShutdownStories — Katy⚓ (@katyjb88) December 24, 2018

#ShutdownStories single mom, single income. If my pay from last two weeks shows up I have enough to pay bills, but not buy food. We live direct deposit to direct deposit, & something vital is always breaking - car brakes, stove, furnace.🤞 nothing goes until this is over. — Oceans of Hope (@Freya_Cerridwen) December 24, 2018

#ShutdownStories I have family and friends that took back Christmas presents so they can afford rent and food once the paychecks stop. It’s hella expensive to live in the dc area. Everyone I know lives paycheck to paycheck. Missed pay will decimate them. — Susan🌈🌈🌈 (@SusanJustSusan) December 23, 2018