President Donald Trump has picked a fight with Chuck Schumer, accusing the Jewish Democrat senator of shedding “fake tears” over the 90-day ban on Syrian refugees and others entering America.

At a news conference on Sunday, Mr Schumer, whose family was all but wiped out by the Nazis, said the executive order was “mean spirited and un-American”. His eyes filled with tears and his voice trembled as he said “it will only serve to embolden and inspire those around the globe who wish to do us harm and it must be reversed immediately”.

Mr Schumer also tweeted a photo of the Statue of Liberty saying, “There are tears running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty”.

Mr Trump responded with his own tweet on Monday referring to “Fake Tears Chuck Schumer”. He later told reporters: “I noticed Chuck Schumer yesterday with fake tears, I’m going to ask him who his acting coach is". He declared there was a “5 per cent chance [the tears] were real”.

Mr Schumer’s great grandmother and seven of her nine children were killed by the Nazis. Members of his wife’s family were also killed. On Saturday President Trump issued an executive order on immigration, halting the US refugee programme, banning all Syrian refugees and suspending the entry of all nationals from seven majority Muslim countries.