Dick Durbin: Trump Made 'Vile And Racist' Immigration Remarks

CHICAGO, IL — Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin confirmed Friday morning that President Donald Trump repeatedly used vulgar and racist language to describe immigrants to the United States from countries such as Hati during a bipartisan meeting Thursday at the White House to discuss a proposed immigration deal. Although he admitted using "tough" words at the session with lawmakers, Trump, in a tweet posted Friday, denied he characterized El Salvador and nations in Africa as "s--hole countries."

But Durbin, who also was at Thursday's meeting, disputed the president's Twitter response.

"I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday," Durbin told reporters during a Friday-morning breakfast honoring Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago.

He also told Judy Wang of WGN News that Trump's words were "hateful, vile and racist." Along with his use of an obscene and derogatory term, the president also asked attendees why the United States couldn't accept more immigrants from countries such as Norway.

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White House spokesman Raj Shah did not deny the accuracy of Trump's immigration comments after they were reported by the Washington Post on Thursday. Shah, instead, reinforced the president's commitment to immigration reform.

"Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people," he said.

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Sen. Dick Durbin (Photo via Patch archive)