Politics & Government

Trump Calls Africa, Haiti, El Salvador Obscene Names: Reports

The remark reportedly came during a meeting with lawmakers over a bipartisan immigration deal.

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump, displeased with a proposal to bring back protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries as part of a bipartisan immigration deal, asked the lawmakers why "all these people from s---hole countries" are coming to America, according to multiple reports, citing two sources.

Trump also reportedly suggested America should instead bring more people from countries like Norway.

The lawmakers in the room, including Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Durbin of Illinois were left taken aback, The Washington Post said. The duo had proposed reducing the visa lottery program by half and focusing on countries already in the system, a White House official told the newspaper.

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The New York Times reported, citing multiple sources, that when Trump learned Haitians would benefit, he was curious about whether they could be excluded from the plan, asking, “Why do we want people from Haiti here?”

Last year, Trump reportedly echoed those remarks during a meeting with Cabinet officials and administration aides, the Times said, complaining that Haitians all had AIDS.

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The White House did not deny that Trump made the remarks, and instead said in a statement that some "politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people."

Trump will only take the immigration deal if it sufficiently addresses the visa lottery system and chain migration, which the White House said hurts the U.S. economy and allows "terrorists into our country."

Click here for The Washington Post's full report.

Click here for The New York Times article.

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Photo credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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