Trump Called Haiti, El Salvador, and African Nations "Shithole Countries." Then Denied It. Then Senators Who Were There Confirmed It.

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The meeting was about a bipartisan immigration deal that included protected status for immigrants from countries experiencing natural disasters and violence — including Haiti (recovering from the 2010 earthquake) and El Salvador and Honduras (experiencing gang violence). The context of Trump's question was therefore: why should the US continue to protect immigrants from these countries? His framing — referring to those countries using a vulgar racial epithet — was reported by the Washington Post that evening, citing sources in the room.

Trump tweeted the next morning that the language was "not the language used" and that he had used "tough" language. Several Republican senators who were in the room initially said they "didn't recall" the specific word. Senator Durbin, a Democrat, confirmed it explicitly and described the context. Senator Graham confirmed it by implication — he called Trump after the meeting to express his objection to the language, and Graham's spokesperson later confirmed that Graham had indeed objected. The White House later conceded that Trump had used "tough" language, without specifying what that language was. The UN called the reported remarks "racist." Haiti's government summoned the US ambassador.

The Norway comment is equally revealing. Norway is predominantly white. The countries Trump was disparaging — Haiti, El Salvador, African nations — are predominantly Black and brown. The contrast Trump drew was not between rich and poor countries, or developed and developing countries, or low- and high-skill immigrants. It was between a white European country and Black and brown countries. The UN called it what it was: racist.