Another day, another piece of proof that President Donald Trump is racist.
Yesterday (January 11), Trump held a meeting with members of Congress in the Oval Office to discuss immigration. During a conversation about protecting nationals from Haiti, El Salvador and several African countries, White House officials report that Trump said, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” He went on to say, “Why do we need more Haitians? … Take them out.”
Per The Washington Post, Trump went on to say that those immigrants should be left out of any deal, and that he’d rather have more people from Norway. He also said he’s be open to more Asian immigrants because he thinks they will boost the nation’s economy.
His remarks prompted outrage on social media and traditional media, but none captured attention as much as Don Lemon’s response on CNN last night. He opened his show with this: “This is CNN Tonight. I’m Don Lemon. The president of the United States is racist. A lot of us already knew that.”
“This is CNN Tonight, I’m Don Lemon.
The President of the United States is racist. A lot of us already knew that.”
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— Jordan (@jordansdiamonds) January 12, 2018
Trump hopped on Twitter this morning (January 12) to deny that he made the racist comments, saying, "The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used.”
But Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who was at the meeting, told press that he absolutely did:
Sen. Dick Durbin, who was in yesterday’s Oval Office meeting, says Pres. Trump "said these hateful things, and he said them repeatedly." https://t.co/gAgWtgbumb pic.twitter.com/tRdxdaKxRy
— ABC News (@ABC) January 12, 2018
Trump ignored questions about his remarks during an event to celebrate civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr.
After signing MLK Day proclamation, Trump is asked by reporters, "Mr. President, will you give an apology for the statement yesterday? Mr President, did you refer to African nations as shitholes? Mr President, are you a racist?" pic.twitter.com/cvmkmaPI74
— David Mack (@davidmackau) January 12, 2018
Here is sampling of responses to the latest display of bigotry from a man who called White supremacists “very fine people”:
Wen did you know Trump was racist?
1. Housing discrimination
2. Central Park 5 lie
3. Birtherism
4. Called Mexicans drug dealers
5. Ban on Muslims
6. Pardoned Joe Arpaio
7. Nazis are “very fine people”
8. Endorsed slave-supporter Roy Moore
9. Called black countries “shitholes”— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) January 11, 2018
Trump: We don’t want immigrants from Haiti or African countries “shitholes”. We want immigrants from Norway.
Translation: We want white people only.
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) January 11, 2018
My sister in law is trying to explain to her 7 year old daughter, my niece, why the president thinks she comes from a shithole. And you are all “outraged” but not one single thing is going to change.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 12, 2018
The Botswana Government has also enquired from the US Government through the Ambassador, to clarify if Botswana is regarded as a “shithole” country given that there are Botswana nationals residing in the US, and also that some of Batswana may wish to visit the US.
— Botswana Government (@BWGovernment) January 12, 2018
Here is my statement on the President’s comments today: pic.twitter.com/EdtsFjc2zL
— Rep. Mia Love (@RepMiaLove) January 11, 2018
It’s important to note that Trump’s definition of a ‘#shithole’ country isn’t just about the wealth of the nation but has everything to do with race. Other countries that he may define as ‘shitholes’ certainly aren’t in Europe. In other news, yes, this President is racist.
— Alton Wang (@altonwang) January 12, 2018
For everyone realizing today that Trump is a racist, there are thousands of Black immigrants at risk of deportation.
Congress needs to protect the TPS program now: https://t.co/KLLjtjJP8c pic.twitter.com/Uxo7d6b9hk
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) January 12, 2018