A little under eight years later, Trump publicly acknowledged using the phrase “shithole countries.”
This topic sparked an international uproar during his first term. Reports from outlets like CNN indicated that, at a closed-door January 2018 meeting with senators about immigration policy, Trump questioned why the U.S. should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” such as some nations in Africa. The White House did not outright deny that he used the term, while Trump himself issued vague statements that seemed to deny the exact wording. Media coverage and subsequent public statements painted a picture of a heated exchange, with Trump insisting his remarks were about tough language rather than a literal quote, and some aides emphasizing that the remarks were mischaracterized or taken out of context.
This was the situation in 2018. Now, in a Pennsylvania speech focused mainly on economic matters but veering into other topics, Trump explicitly confirmed that he had spoken about “shithole countries” during a past closed-door meeting with senators. In that address, he described having announced a permanent pause on Third World migration, including people from Afghanistan, Haiti, Somalia, and several other countries. An audience member then used the controversial term, and Trump responded with a joke about who had used the word. He recalled that the discussion involved Democrats and a bipartisan effort, noting that participants had come in under an agreement of confidentiality, believing the conversation would be off the record as they spoke honestly about the country’s direction.
Trump’s account aligns with reported details of the January 2018 gathering, where his remarks about Haiti, African nations, and Scandinavian countries like Norway were described by multiple outlets. For example, CNN reported that a person briefed on the meeting described Trump asking why the U.S. would want more people from Haiti and African countries while suggesting Norway could supply additional immigrants. In 2018, some Republican senators who attended the meeting—Senator Tom Cotton and Senator David Perdue—said they did not recall Trump using that language, with Perdue even stating on television that he believed the reports were a gross misrepresentation. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, present at the time, said she did not recall the specific phrase being used, describing the discussion as impassioned.
Durbin, the Democrat who attended, publicly confirmed that Trump had referred to “shithole countries” during the meeting. Trump responded on social media, accusing Durbin of misrepresenting what was said at the DACA meeting.
In short, the controversy from 2018 has resurfaced, with Trump’s latest remarks providing direct confirmation of past statements and reigniting debates over language, immigration policy, and how such discussions are reported and interpreted. What do you think about the implications of using blunt language in high-stakes political discussions? Do you view this as a candid, albeit controversial, moment of honesty, or as evidence of harmful rhetoric that underscores deeper policy issues? Share your thoughts in the comments.
