Trump says he’s the least racist person

DONALD Trump has defended himself in the wake of recent disparaging and foulmouthed comments about Haiti and African nations, declaring: “I am not a racist.”

The US President addressed the issue briefly as he arrived for dinner at his private golf club in Florida.

Asked what he thought about people who believed he was racist, Mr Trump said: “No, no. I am not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you.”

He has been accused of using the word “s---hole” to describe African countries during an Oval Office meeting last Thursday with a group of six senators from both sides of politics aimed at hammering out an immigration deal.

In addition, he questioned the need to admit more Haitians to the US and also said he would prefer immigrants from countries such as Norway.

But yesterday he denied making the statements attributed to him, though the 71year-old did not go into specifics about what he did or did not say.

“Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments?” Mr Trump said. “They weren’t made.”

However, Dick Durbin, the only Democrat at the meeting, said the President had said what he was reported to have said, calling the remarks “vile, hate-filled and clearly racial in their content”.

Senator Durbin said Mr Trump used the most vulgar term “more than once”.

The comments have been widely denounced.

The White House has not denied he said “s---hole” though Mr Trump previously has pushed back on some depictions of the meeting.

He has appeared to give up the immigration deal being discussed when he made his controversial statements.

“DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it,” he tweeted, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the country illegally as children face deportation unless a compromise can be reached that would allow them to stay.