Thread: Trump's 'shithole' comment is his new rock bottom

Trump's 'shithole' comment is his new rock bottom

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 12:47 AM ET, Fri January 12, 2018

(CNN )On Thursday, in a meeting with a senators and House members on immigration, the President of the United States, asked this: "Why do we want all these people from 'shithole countries' coming here?"

Yes, he said "shithole countries" -- apparently in reference to the fact that immigrants from places like El Salvador, Haiti and Africa were being protected in a potential bipartisan deal to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and secure funding for border security.

What's even more appalling is that the White House didn't even try to deny that Trump used that slur, which was first reported in The Washington Post. In fact, in a lengthy statement from White House spokesman Raj Shah, the administration seemed to even defend the sentiment. "Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people," said Shah.

But it gets even worse. Asked about the "shithole" comments, a White House official told CNN's Kaitlan Collins this:

"The President's 'shithole' remark is being received much differently inside of the White House than it is outside of it. Though this might enrage Washington, staffers predict the comment will resonate with his base, much like his attacks on NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem did not alienate it."

Stop. Read that again. Here's what it means: The President's voicing of a racist remark about the sorts of people whom we are letting into the country is actually a good thing because people who like Trump will agree with him.

Make no mistake: This is the lowest ebb of a presidency defined by a series of low ebbs and defining of the presidency downward. Yes, lower than Trump's comments about Mexico sending us "rapists" and "criminals." Lower than questioning Sen. John McCain's military service. Lower than his impugning of a judge because of his Mexican heritage. Lower than his questioning the motives of a Gold Star family. Lower than the 2,000 mistruths and outright falsehoods he has said since becoming President. Lower than his racially-tinged attacks on the anthem protests by NFL players. Lower even than his "both sides" argument in the wake of white supremacist violence against peaceful protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.
This is not only a President of the United States voicing racist sentiment in front of a group of people. It is also doubling down on those sentiments -- proudly! -- because it might advance his political power among his base.

This is -- much like Charlottesville -- an abdication of the moral authority of the presidency, but it's more than that: It's saying, quite simply, that saying racist stuff is a-OK as long as it works politically.

There are things that are -- or should be -- beyond politics. The most important of those things is the belief that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

It's right there in the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence. And, "we believe these truths to be self evident" because, well, they are. The progress to a more perfect union hasn't always honored this pledge as it should. But this is 2018. Can't we agree that discriminating against people based on what they look like -- or what country they might come from -- is wrong?

Apparently not, according to President Trump.

Let's not make any mistake here: What was being discussed in the meeting in which Trump called Haiti and El Salvador "shithole countries" was not illegal immigration. This was a proposal to end the visa lottery, which Trump has repeatedly falsely suggested leads to other countries gaming the system to send the US their worst people, and replace it with affording a group of countries Temporary Protected Status (TPS).

Nor should we dismiss this sentiment as a one off by Trump. Remember this June 2016 meeting, first reported by The New York Times, in which Trump was angrily decrying the fact that lots of immigrants from what he believed were less-desirable countries were still entering the country. The Times writes:

"Haiti had sent 15,000 people. They 'all have AIDS,' [Trump] grumbled, according to one person who attended the meeting and another person who was briefed about it by a different person who was there.

Forty thousand had come from Nigeria, Mr. Trump added. Once they had seen the United States, they would never 'go back to their huts' in Africa, recalled the two officials, who asked for anonymity to discuss a sensitive conversation in the Oval Office."

These sorts of noxious views are a feature not a glitch for Donald Trump. Everything in his history as a candidate and as President screams for that conclusion. For every "bill of love" pronouncement Trump makes, there are double-digit times in which he has said things -- publicly and privately -- that any reasonable person would describe as racially tinged at best and flat-out racist at worst.

Let me remind you in case you have forgotten: This is the President of the United States we are talking about. The President of ALL 300 million people -- not just the ones who voted for Trump and who might respond well to his "shithole" comments. The President of a country literally built on the idea of a melting pot of immigrants.

The discussion of whether this will resonate with Trump's base then is deeply cynical and totally misses the point. There need to be things that are right and things that are wrong, things that we can all agree we should do or not do. Whether or not these things have some political resonance with some group of people is immaterial.

We are talking about the President of the United States here! Not some fringe talk radio host? Not some blogger. The single most powerful person in the country. The symbol of the United States to the rest of the world.

Whether or not you voted for Trump, whether or not you still support him, whether or not you think this "shithole" comment will land well with his base, you need to acknowledge that voicing views like these is simply wrong. It is, quite literally, anti-American. Period. Full Stop.

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/11/politi...tom/index.html

Did anyone in the meeting answer the President's question? I guess no one had an answer. I support the merit-based immigration system that Trump wants. He talked about this all during the campaign, and it doesn't have anything to do with race, it has to do with individuals instead of countries, focusing on skills, character and ability to support oneself if allowed into the country. I like that. Personally, I prefer a 10 to 20 Year Moratorium on All Immigration because I think we're overpopulated and can't afford any more population that can't sustain itself. We can't even afford the excess population and the related poverty we have now.

We don't want them!

We want it all shut down for 20 years!

I don't even want their "best"! We have our own "best" out of work.

They need to keep their "best" and clean up their own shithole! Don't come here.

Trump allegedly took a ‘victory lap’ after his ‘shithole’ remark

After making his “shithole” comment about Haiti and Africa during an Oval Office meeting, President Trump phoned aides, allies and friends to ask how they thought the slur played out in the press, according to a report.

One White House official described the president’s actions as a “victory lap,” CNN reported.

On Friday, Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Virginia) said she “can’t defend what the president reportedly said,” adding that “we are all made in the image and likeness of God.”

“What we need now is not division or discord, but finding a way we can come together and agree, as well as civilly disagree, as we tackle our diverse American challenges,” she said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wisconsin) insisted Trump’s remark was “unfortunate” — but not racist.

“I think it’s an unfortunate comment. I disagree with it. I think it’s an indefensible comment, but I think it’s important also to look at, what’s the context in the negotiations and the conversations that were taking place,” he told CNN.

Asked why he didn’t think the “shithole” comment was racist, Duffy said: “I don’t think Donald Trump is a racist. Donald Trump — if you look at the economy — it’s affecting everybody. African-Americans and Asian and Hispanics.”

Duffy added that a DACA deal could still get done even amid the controversy.

“I think there’s a willingness to get a DACA deal done. We want to take care of the kids, but also we want to get to the root cause of the problem. Democrats have to come to the table,” Duffy told CNN.

Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Florida), who exchanged jabs with Trump over how he spoke to the widow of a US soldier last year, also weighed in on the comments.

“Not only has @realDonaldTrump revealed himself to be an insensitive, bigoted racist to people and countries of color, today he reminded us that he will lie to the American public to save face.

“I am a former school principal who continues to be immersed in the lives of children and am at a loss about how to explain to them how a president of the united states can be so cruel and callous toward black and brown people,” she continued.

“I am embarrassed and outraged on behalf of my Haitian, Salvadoran and African constituents who are stunned and disturbed by the racist in the White House.”

And Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) tweeted: “The words used by the President, as related to me directly following the meeting by those in attendance, were not ‘tough,’ they were abhorrent and repulsive.”

Flake said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and an unnamed GOP senator, both of whom attended the meeting, told him about the remarks before they were published in the Washington Post.

trump's 'shithole' storm Trump allegedly took a 'victory lap' after his 'shithole' remark

So did he do it on purpose to shut it down? Wouldn't surprise me one bit. Extraordinary measures are required for extraordinary times. Whatever it takes, Mr. President. No more meetings with DemoKrooks on illegal and unconstitutional "amnesty" blackmail proposals for DACAs or anyone else, because you can't trust them. They proved that.

Time to shut it down. Get your budget passed without any CR's or blackmail, and if that means DemoKrooks force a shut down of the government on behalf of illegal aliens, then so be it. We'll deal with it. Hold the line, no amnesty, no blackmail.

You need to notify the military and federal employees today. They need time to prepare and make arrangements.

If these people should be OUTRAGED by anything it should be the shithole countries they come from and the corrupt politicians who have made them way.


START THROWING YOUR MUD AT THE SHITHOLE CORRUPT LEADERS...NOT THE U.S.A.

HAVE SOME BALLS AND START REPORTING ON THAT!

GET OUT STORY AFTER STORY AND PICTURES OF THESE CORRUPT CESSPOOLS AND LAY THE BLAME ON THEM!

THAT SHOULD KEEP YOU BUSY FOR YEARS!

CNN is really "spun up". I don't believe ANYTHING that they print or broadcast.

Funny thing is as much as most Dreamers hate Trump and love Durbin on this comment most agree with Trump.

Ironic isn't it, MontereySherry? LOL!! I saw a young black American interviewed this week and asked about immigration and he asks the interviewer "you mean them coming over here?" And the interviewer said "yes, Haitians coming here" and the black American said "oh no, they need to stay over there, you don't need to be coming here, no no, you need to stay where you are over there." And he was so cute, he uses his hands to demonstrate staying over there, the way someone would tell a bunch of kids to stay on their side of the playground.

It's just common sense. So great to see American common sense showing itself again.

true Donald Trump is right to call shihole with those new immigrants US is no more US