What did Donald Trump do today?

He couldn't tell the difference between his policies and a parody of them.

Recently, Twitter user "TomHoman_" tweeted this:

From New York to Massachusetts to California, a bunch of politicians are about to become felons.

And it's going to be glorious to watch all the anti-American garbage get arrested.

Review Title 8 U.S.C. §1324—It's a Felony to harbor illegal aliens.

Trump, apparently thinking this was an actual post from his border czar-designate Tom Homan, reposted it to his private social media site. 

But the author is just impersonating the actual Homan, and—at least to the extent that Trump intends to follow the law—he won't be able to have "politicians" arrested for not agreeing with his immigration policy.

The law that fake Tom Homan cited does exist and does deal with knowingly trafficking noncitizens for various criminal purposes, but local officials leaving federal law enforcement to federal officers isn't a crime. However, 8 U.S.C. §1324 does provide that

any person who, during any 12-month period, knowingly hires for employment at least 10 individuals with actual knowledge that the individuals are aliens described in subparagraph (B) shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

Trump, a convicted felon, owns businesses that have been caught hiring undocumented workers at his resorts and construction projects many times, including during his first term. He has excused himself on the grounds that "everybody does it."

Why does this matter?

• Presidents should be able to tell the difference between their own policies and fake caricatures of them.

• It's not good if a president can be fooled by a level of username spoofing that wouldn't fool most grade-schoolers.

• Someone who was serious about reducing immigration crimes would probably start by committing  fewer of them.