By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/did-trump-say-shole-who-said-what-about-what-trump-said Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Did Trump say s***hole? Who said what about what Trump said Politics Jan 15, 2018 4:15 PM EDT Warning: This post contains explicit language. Senior officials in Washington spent the weekend openly, and sometimes brutally, disagreeing over what the president said in last Thursday’s meeting about immigration. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., led the charge, insisting President Donald Trump used vulgar and hateful language to describe Haitians and Africans. According to Durbin, the president repeatedly referred to “shitholes” or “shithole countries.” The president was nearly as emphatic in a denial he posted on Twitter the day after the meeting. “I’m not a racist,” he told reporters Sunday. “I’m the least racist person you will ever interview.” There were at least eight other people at Thursday’s meeting. A few of them gave their own, often carefully-worded, versions of what happened. According to the Washington Post, a White House official suggested the president said “shithouse” rather than “shithole.” Some speculated the distinction allowed senators to deny use of one word without denying the broader context. We pored through the statements to get a better look at what those within earshot of the president say he said. READ MORE: Every moment in Trump’s charged relationship with race We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now By — Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins Lisa Desjardins is a correspondent for PBS News Hour, where she covers news from the U.S. Capitol while also traveling across the country to report on how decisions in Washington affect people where they live and work. @LisaDNews
Warning: This post contains explicit language. Senior officials in Washington spent the weekend openly, and sometimes brutally, disagreeing over what the president said in last Thursday’s meeting about immigration. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., led the charge, insisting President Donald Trump used vulgar and hateful language to describe Haitians and Africans. According to Durbin, the president repeatedly referred to “shitholes” or “shithole countries.” The president was nearly as emphatic in a denial he posted on Twitter the day after the meeting. “I’m not a racist,” he told reporters Sunday. “I’m the least racist person you will ever interview.” There were at least eight other people at Thursday’s meeting. A few of them gave their own, often carefully-worded, versions of what happened. According to the Washington Post, a White House official suggested the president said “shithouse” rather than “shithole.” Some speculated the distinction allowed senators to deny use of one word without denying the broader context. We pored through the statements to get a better look at what those within earshot of the president say he said. READ MORE: Every moment in Trump’s charged relationship with race We're not going anywhere. Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on! Donate now