President Donald Trump on Tuesday revived remarks he reportedly made about African nations and Haiti seven years ago during a rally-style event in Pennsylvania.
Trump, who ran his re-election campaign largely focused on tough immigration enforcement, touted his administration’s recent update to a list of countries, mostly from Africa, that will see a “permanent pause” on immigration applications. Trump described them as “hell holes” and “third-world” countries.
“I’ve also announced a permanent pause on third world migration, including from hell holes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries,” said Trump, who recently called Somali immigrants living in Minnesota “garbage.”
A supporter in the crowd then shouts at Trump, who apparently heard the expletive used to described the countries he had named.
“I didn’t say sh—thole, you did,” quipped the president.
Trump appeared to acknowledge the disparaging term he denied using years ago, in 2018. According to media reports at the time, Trump called Haiti and African nations “sh—thole countries” during a bipartisan meeting about immigration. He also reportedly said, “Why do we want people from Haiti here?” and allegedly added that all Haitians have AIDS.
The alleged remarks have long been used by the president’s critics to prove he holds racist views about Black people globally.
Although Trump appeared to agree with the attendees at Tuesday’s rally, he denied ever using that word during his first term in the White House.
“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used,” Trump said at the time on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Trump’s admission is just an accidental glimpse of honesty from a man who built his career on lies, cons, and deception,” said Brandon Weathersby, a spokesperson for the progressive research firm American Bridge 21st Century. He told theGrio, “His word is like his hair; it’s constantly shifting, but too thin to disguise the gaps. You simply can’t believe a word he says.”
Weathersby continued, “After nearly 11 months in office, even working class Republicans are starting to realize that Trump has betrayed his promises and sold them out with inflationary policies, cuts to health care, and a tanking economy.”
“His administration has repeatedly prioritized the wealthy and well-connected over ordinary families, proving that his rhetoric about helping the American people was always empty,” he added.
“Every policy decision reinforces that the only people benefiting from Trump’s presidency are Trump and his allies.”
At the same rally in Mount Pocono, Pa., Trump made off-the-cuff remarks about Black peoples and “scams” while defending himself against accusations of “discrimination” for his use of the word “garbage” to describe U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants living in Minnesota.
“I got the biggest vote with Black people. They know a scam better than anybody. They know…what it is to be scammed,” he told the crowd of mostly white attendees.
