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US-POLITICS-IMMIGRATION
Trump: ‘I’m not a racist’
WASHINGTON, Jan 15, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – President Donald Trump insisted
Sunday that he was “not a racist,” after his reported denunciation of
immigration from “shithole” countries triggered a global firestorm of
criticism.
Trump on Friday tweeted a convoluted denial about the comments, which were
reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times and confirmed by
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the meeting at which they were
said to have been spoken.
“I’m not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed,
that I can tell you,” Trump told reporters at the Trump International Golf
Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was having dinner with Republican
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The alleged expletive came during a Thursday meeting between Trump and
legislators about immigration reform.
After lawmakers raised the issue of protections for immigrants from African
nations, Haiti and El Salvador, the president reportedly demanded to know why
the United States should accept immigrants from “shithole countries,” rather
than — for instance — wealthy and overwhelmingly white Norway.
In Florida, Trump also sounded upbeat on North Korea, after confusion
emerged over whether he had suggested in an interview that he had a good
relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. The president said he was
misquoted, which recordings appear to corroborate.
“We’ll see what happens with North Korea. We have great talks going on. The
Olympics you know about. A lot of things can happen,” he said.
Trump said he was trying to clinch an immigration deal, but that his
Democratic rivals were unhelpful.
“We’re ready, willing and able to make a deal on DACA,” Trump said,
referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that protects
immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. “I don’t think
Democrats want to make a deal. The folks from DACA should know the Democrats
are the ones that aren’t going to make a deal.”
Trump announced in September he was scrapping the program, but with a six-
month lag — meaning those covered by DACA would be subject to deportation
starting March.
Democratic lawmakers “don’t want security at the border,” Trump said.
“You got people pouring in. They don’t want to stop drugs. and they want to
take money away from our military, which we cannot do.”
Analysts and businesses say the economy could lose $215 billion in GDP if
the 800,000 so-called “Dreamers” leave the labor pool, at a time when many
firms are finding it hard to fill open positions.
A US judge this week ordered the federal government to reinstate DACA
pending final judgment on the justification for overturning it.
That would allow Dreamers to apply to renew their status under the program
implemented by President Barack Obama in 2012, unless overturned by a higher
court.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0830 hrs