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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWashington Post-Trump finally confirms using vulgar slur about several countries in 2018
Trump previously denied using the language about Haiti, El Salvador and several African countries before his nonchalant admission at a rally Tuesday.
Link to tweet
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/10/trump-shithole-countries-comment-admission
His turnabout came during an event in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania his first stop on a speaking tour nominally centered on his economic policies when Trump mentioned pausing migration from 19 countries the administration has deemed high-risk. The group, he said, included hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries......
So they came in. And they said, This is totally off the record, nothing mentioned here, we want to be honest, because our country was going to hell. And we had a meeting, Trump recounted Tuesday. And I say, Why is it we only take people from shithole countries, right? Why cant we have some people from Norway, Sweden just a few, let us have a few But we always take people from Somalia. Places that are a disaster, right? Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.
Trumps remarks at the Pennsylvania event seemed to be a nonchalant admission that he had in fact used such language during his first term to disparage Haiti, El Salvador and several countries in Africa. The Post had also reported that Trump who was meeting with senators to discuss a bipartisan immigration deal singled out Haiti and told the lawmakers he did not want any more immigrants from that Caribbean nation......
Trump also griped to his Cabinet that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), who fled civil war in Somalia and later immigrated to the United States, complained about her adopted country too much.
You know, our country is at a tipping point. We could go one way or the other, and were going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country, he said. Ilhan Omar is garbage. Shes garbage. Her friends are garbage.
Trumps comments came amid reports that his administration is ramping up immigration enforcement efforts targeting undocumented Somali immigrants in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Trump recently threatened to end temporary protected status for Somali immigrants in Minnesota and, without evidence, accused Somali gangs of terrorizing people there.
LetMyPeopleVote
(179,906 posts)In 2018, the president denied using the racist language. In 2025, he seems to take a degree of pride in using the phrase.
Why Trumpâs unsubtle reversal on his âs---hole countriesâ comment matters - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2025-12-10T17:29:11.946Z
apple.news/A5fl9dEOxQ8S...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/why-trumps-unsubtle-reversal-on-his-s-hole-countries-comment-matters
Soon after, a member of the crowd yelled out a crude term that Mr. Trump used during his first administration to disparage Haiti and some nations in Africa. The president laughed.
I didnt say shole, you did! Mr. Trump replied with a grin. He then recounted his use of the term at a White House meeting in 2018 to describe countries that he was balking at accepting immigrants from.
....Describing the 2018 White House meeting, the president told rally attendees, We want to be honest, because our country was going to hell, and we had a meeting and I say, Why is it we only take people from shole countries, right? Why cant we have some people from Norway, Sweden just a few let us have a few from Denmark. Do you mind sending us a few people? Send us some nice people, do you mind?
Trump: "I've also announced a permanent pause on 3rd world migration, including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries. I didn't say shit hole, you did. I said that to the senators, the Democrats, so they came in and they said this is totally off the record .... "
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-10T01:40:26.476Z
The message wasnt exactly subtle: Trump is fine with immigration, so long as its white people coming to American soil......
His remarks came a week after he referred to Somali immigrants as garbage. A New York Times report described it an outburst that captured the raw nativism that has animated his approach to immigration, adding that the presidents condemnation was shocking in its unapologetic bigotry.
A week later, the brazenness of Trumps racism was apparent once more.
senseandsensibility
(24,989 posts)It's on video. Nothing he says is worth $##@@@, and if the WP doesn't know that by now they're either stupid or pretending to be.
LetMyPeopleVote
(179,906 posts)Trump: "I've also announced a permanent pause on 3rd world migration, including from hellholes like Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and many other countries. I didn't say shit hole, you did. I said that to the senators, the Democrats, so they came in and they said this is totally off the record .... "
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-12-10T01:40:26.476Z