WASHINGTON (AP) — A senator present at a White House immigration meeting says President Donald Trump used vulgar language to describe African countries, saying he “said these hate filled things and he said them repeatedly.”
Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, on Friday told reporters that Trump questioned why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and that he referenced “shithole countries” in Africa.
Durbin said “shitholes” was “the exact word used by the president not just once but repeatedly.”
Durbin added, “When the question was asked about Haitians … he said, ‘Hatians? Do we need more Hatians?’”
Trump said on Twitter Friday that his language during the meeting was “tough,” but “this was not the language used.” He did not specifically deny using the word “shithole.”
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