Yuri Gripas/Reuters
The White House on Thursday responded to reports that Trump privately disparaged “shithole countries” by touting the president’s immigration proposals. In a statement, White House spokesman Raj Shah did not deny that Trump made the remark. The Washington Post first reported that Trump asked lawmakers, “Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” The president was referring to attempts to restore protections for immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations. “Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” Shah said. The New York Times later reported that Trump asked that Haitians be left out of any proposal: “Why do we want people from Haiti here?”