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Trump defends himself from 'shithole' countries remark's backlash
Trump defended himself this Sunday from the backlash spraked by his comments about Haiti and African countries, saying "I'm not a racist".
Upon arriving for dinner at his private golf club and in response to questions from reporters, the president said, "I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed."
Donald Trump denied describing Haiti and African nations as "shithole" countries during an Oval Office meeting last Thursday to discuss immigration policies with six senators, although he demured from providing further details into what was really said.
The Commander-in Chief was also accused of questioning the need for admitting more Haitians, expressing instead a preference for more immigrants from countries like Norway.
Two Republican senators who were in attendance at that meeting in the White House, David Perdue and Tom Cotton, and who had previously said they did not recall Trump making the disparaging comments, defended their boss late on Sunday.
Perdue described reports that Trump had used such a term as a "gross misrepresentation".
"I am telling you that he did not use that word. And I'm telling you it's a gross misrepresentation," Perdue said on ABC's 'This Week.'
The comments caused some of Trump's evangelical backers to criticize him, calling him a racist.
"Your pro-life argument rings hollow if you don't have an issue with this xenophobic bigotry," tweeted pastor Earon James of Relevant Life Church in Pace, Florida.
On the other hand, Trump's first wife Ivana Trump told Good Morning Britain that the president may be confused but that he's not a racist.
"Sometimes he says things which are silly and he does not really mean them but he definitely is not racist. He has so many people telling him left and right what to say, what not to say, and maybe it gets confusing."