Local leaders weigh in on Trump calling Haiti, Africa ‘s***hole countries’

Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called for a “detailed explanation” of the comments, and said immigrants, “regardless of their country of origin”, make America “special”.

“It’s showing the total lack of understanding he has of global policy”. He then reminded him that America’s “greatness” was built on diversity.

Trump wasn’t apologetic about his inflammatory remarks and denied he was racist, instead, blaming the media for distorting his meaning, the confidant said.

Republican strategist and consultant Frank Luntz tweeted: “43% of immigrants from [‘shithole’] African countries have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 33% of the overall American population”.

The Washington Post first reported on Trump’s comments in the Oval Office meeting, which the Post said “shocked” lawmakers in attendance.

Trump later tweeted Friday morning that he “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country”.

“We spend too much time commenting or watching or being pissed off at what Mr. Trump says. They stand tall and have dignity”, Cooper said. That’s when he used these vile and vulgar comments, calling the nations they come from ‘shitholes.’ The exact word used by the President. But she added, “We feel like we’re close”. I don’t think it’s fair to classify all Africa as shitty. The president, according to a White House official, also suggested he would be open to more immigrants from Asian countries because they help the United States economically. “Why don’t we get more people from Norway?”

Mr Trump’s reported remarks were remarkable even by the standards of a president who has been accused by his foes of racist attitudes and has routinely smashed through public decorum that his modern predecessors have generally embraced.

“Unless it was specifically said about South Sudan, we have nothing to say”, South Sudan government spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny told the AP. Cory Booker, D-N.J., added that Trump “does not speak for America”.

Kenyan activist Boniface Mwangi remarked on Twitter, “Africa isn’t a shithole”.

South African journalist Leanne Manas tweeted “good morning from the greatest most lovely “sh-hole country” in the world!” Beautiful, hardworking people. We have diamonds, gold, iron, cobalt, uranium, copper, bauxite, silver, petroleum, cocoa, coffee, tea etc. As top recipients of USA aid, some hesitated to jeopardise it by criticising Mr Trump, especially as his administration has sought to slash foreign assistance.

So: Saying that Haiti and African countries are shitholes, unlike Norway, and claiming that Nigerians live in huts and that Haitians have AIDS and that Afghans are terrorists – and, for that matter, that Mexican immigrants are criminals and that black Americans live in the crime-ridden inner cities and that Muslims are too unsafe to allow into the country?

CORRECTION: This story has been corrected to reflect that Lauren Lamothe is the former Prime Minister of Haiti.