President Donald Trump responded early on Friday, Jan. 12, to criticism of words he allegedly spoke in a closed-door meeting with senators to describe third-world countries.
“The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used,” the president wrote on Twitter on Friday morning.
According to the Post’s unnamed sources, Trump told lawmakers, “Why do we want all these people from [expletive] countries coming here?”
Trump also denied saying that Haitians should be taken out of a potential immigration deal.
“Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Never said ’take them out.' Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!”
Citing “people familiar with the meeting,” the Post reported Trump saying, “Why do we need more Hatians? Take them out.”
While addressing the alleged language he used, Trump slammed the immigration deal that was presented at the meeting. Six senators, three Democrats, and three Republicans pitched a deal to Trump to save the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which gave a temporary legal status to illegal aliens brought to the United States as children.
Trump ended DACA in September and is using it as a bargaining chip to secure the passage of a comprehensive immigration reform package which includes funding for the border wall, limiting chain migration, and ending the lottery visa program in favor of a merit-based system.
“Because of the Democrats not being interested in life and safety, DACA has now taken a big step backwards,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “The Dems will threaten “shutdown,” but what they are really doing is shutting down our military, at a time we need it most.”
“We have been working for four months and have reached an agreement in principle that addresses border security, the diversity visa lottery, chain migration/family reunification, and the Dream Act—the areas outlined by the president,” the senators wrote in a statement, according to Fox News. “We are now working to build support for that deal in Congress.”
Friends Read Free