The “shithole” countries that the “president” of the United States disparaged during an Oval Office meeting Thursday would love someone from the administration to say that shit to their face appreciate some clarification of Donald Trump’s explicitly racist and incendiary comments.
To recap for everyone just emerging from rocks, boulders or other similarly heavy and Wi-Fi-free structures (I envy you, by the way), Trump asked during a White House meeting with lawmakers, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” as the group was talking about suggested protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and African countries.
He homed in on Haitians specifically, allegedly saying: “Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.” And just in case that was too subtle, Trump suggested that the U.S. bring in more immigrants from countries like Norway.
The comments were originally reported by the Washington Post and confirmed by Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Trump has denied he ever said such things).
Now the New York Daily News reports that a Haitian ambassador has “formally summoned a U.S. official” to explain Trump’s racist remarks.
New York Times journalist Yamiche Alcindor spoke with Paul Altidor, Haiti’s ambassador to the U.S., and disclosed some of that conversation during an appearance on Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC show.
Alcindor told Maddow that the Haitian government is taking “formal steps” to let Trump know that he can catch these hands they are “upset.”
Alcindor also noted that the Haitian government has already looked past another derogatory comment Trump made about Haitians. During a June meeting on immigration, Trump reportedly said, “All Haitians have AIDS.” Alcindor says that Haiti chose to look the other way in the interest of resolving the temporary protected status of Haitians living and working in the U.S. after a 2010 earthquake devastated the country.
Their TPS was revoked late last year.
The government of Botswana also released a statement via Twitter addressing its “displeasure” with Trump’s “highly irresponsible, reprehensible and racist” remarks.
The Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation wrote that it had spoken to the U.S. ambassador to Botswana “to express its displeasure at the alleged utterances made by the President of the U.S.” and to clarify whether Trump considered Botswana to be “a shithole country.”
“The Government of Botswana is wondering why President Trump must use this descriptor and derogatory word when talking about countries with whom the U.S. has had cordial and mutually beneficial bilateral relations for so many years,” the ministry’s statement read.
Botswana also noted that the country has hosted many U.S. citizens and government officials over the years, including a congressional delegation scheduled to arrive at the end of the month.
Of course, government officials weren’t the only ones calling out the “president.”
As the Daily News noted, South African Broadcasting Corp. anchor Leanne Manas tweeted, “Good morning from the greatest most beautiful ‘shithole country’ in the world!!!” early Friday morning, local time.
That tweet was co-signed as far away as Malaysia:
The Washington Post collected some of the responses from Africans and Haitians to Trump’s shitty comments, including one from The Daily Show, writing on behalf of its South African host, Trevor Noah: “As someone from South Shithole, Trevor is deeply offended by the president’s remarks.”