Durbin confirms and condemns Trump’s ‘hate-filled, vile and racist’ talk

WASHINGTON – Senate Minority Whip Richard J. Durbin told reporters Friday that the widely reported vulgar comments by President Donald Trump on Thursday were said repeatedly.

The Illinois Democrat said Trump made comments to the group of lawmakers, “which were hate-filled, vile and racist.”

“I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday,” he said.

“You’ve seen the comments in the press,” Durbin said. “I’ve not read one of them that’s inaccurate. To no surprise, the president started tweeting this morning denying that he used those words. It is not true. He said these hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly.”

Durbin said Trump used the term “shitholes” more than once about the home nations of immigrants from Africa.

Trump claimed Friday that he “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country.”

He also denied telling lawmakers and aides in reference to Haitian immigrants that he wants to “take them out” of the United States.

He tweeted that allegations he called Haiti and African nations “shithole countries” was “Made up by Dems,” and claimed a “wonderful relationship with Haitians.”

And in a comment that harkens back to Trump’s fake claim to have audio recordings of private conversations with former FBI Director James Comey, the President tweeted that he “Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!”

As for the pressing need for legislation to address the status of the deferred action recipients, Durbin said his group planned to introduce its proposal next week, with hopes fading that Trump and those taking a harder line will sign on to anything.

“My thought that we might get a bipartisan agreement approved by the White House died yesterday,” Durbin said.

“I’m not going to quit. I have a singular mission, and the mission is this: to give these Dreamers and as many members of their families as possible a chance to be part of America’s future in a legal status,” Durbin said.

“If the Republican leadership has a better alternative, bring it forward,” Durbin said. “If they don’t, for goodness sakes, give us a vote.”