Trump denies ‘shithole countries’ remark
UN, African Union, others slam comments as ‘racist’
US President Donald Trump tweeted a denial Friday after he was quoted as describing African and other states as “shithole countries,” amid an international furor over the remarks.
However, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin condemned Trump’s comments, saying the president indeed used “vulgar” language, and repeatedly called African nations “shitholes.”
Durbin, speaking to reporters in video that aired on MSNBC, said he had been explaining a bipartisan group of senators’ immigration plan on Thursday and how it impacted immigrants from various countries, including those in Africa.
“That’s when he used these vile and vulgar comments calling the nations they come from ‘shitholes’ – the exact word used by the president, not just once but repeatedly,” Durbin said at an event in Chicago.
Trump, who reportedly made the comment during a meeting with legislators Thursday on immigration reform, drew charges of racism.
“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, people briefed on the meeting told The Washington Post.
The New York Times later reported the same comment, citing unnamed people with direct knowledge of the meeting.
“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used,” Trump tweeted early Friday.
The reference was to the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, which shields from deportation nearly 800,000 immigrants brought to the country illegally as children.
Outrage mounted Friday over Trump’s reported description.
UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville said “there is no other word one can use but ‘racist’” to describe Trump’s remarks.
Democratic congressman Luis Gutierrez called Trump “a racist who does not share the values enshrined in our Constitution.”
The reported comments angered among Democrats and Republicans and revived questions about Trump’s tendency to make racially charged remarks.
Last year, Trump scrapped the Obama-era DACA program, and set a deadline of March 5 for Congress to legislate a fix.
Thursday’s meeting was to discuss a compromise under which DACA would be preserved but a visa lottery and a policy allowing legal immigrants to bring family members into the country would be ended.
“I want a merit based system of immigration and people who will help take our country to the next level,” Trump said in another tweet.
“I want safety and security for our people,” he added, criticizing the proposed bipartisan deal.
“USA would be forced to take large numbers of people from high crime countries which are doing badly,” Trump tweeted.
The Post and the Times said Trump’s vulgar remark Thursday was in reference to African countries and Haiti. The Post included El Salvador on its list.
Trump suggested the US should instead welcome immigrants from places like Norway, whose prime minister met
with Trump on Wednesday.