Tipsheet

Reports: Trump Asked Why We're Letting In People From 'S**thole Countries'

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  January 11, 2018 7:30 PM

Yeah, this is certainly Trumpian. If the story is true, the entertainment value is priceless. If it’s wrong, well, it’s par for the course regarding how the news media covers this White House. The Washington Post is reporting that during negotiations over a possible deal on immigration, the president was not having any of the proposals concerning restoring protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and some African nations. He reportedly said, why are we letting in people from “s**thole” countries:

“Why are we having all these people from sh**hole countries come here?” Trump said, according to these people, referring to African countries and Haiti. He then suggested that the United States should instead bring more people from countries like Norway, whose prime minister he met Wednesday.

The comments left lawmakers taken aback, according to people familiar with their reactions. Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) proposed cutting the visa lottery program by 50 percent and prioritizing countries already in the system, a White House official said.

A White House spokesman defended Trump’s position on immigration without directly addressing Trump’s remarks.

Some details of the supposed deal were released earlier this afternoon. On Tuesday, the media got an extended preview into such negotiations between Trump, Democrats, and Republicans. There seemed to be a consensus on border security and protecting DACA recipients. If anything, it was a good public relations move for the Trump White, which has been barraged with allegations that the president is unstable. This meeting undercut that narrative, with CNN, of all places, saying the president looked like he was in command. 

Take what you will from this development. It’s a throwback to the 2016 campaign. Also, the publication’s editorial board wrote that while they think he border wall is dumb (no shocker there), they felt the Democrats should vote for a package that includes such funding in exchange for DACA protections.

 Some on social media were certainly entertained, adding that this shouldn’t be shocking given Trump’s reputation for very blunt remarks.