Trump Confirms He Used 'Shithole Countries' Remark, Repeats It at Pennsylvania Rally

The on-the-record comments convert a long-disputed 2018 account into his own admission, linking the language to a declared pause on so-called Third World migration.

Overview

In Pennsylvania, the president recounted asking why the U.S. accepts people from “shithole countries” and said he preferred immigrants from Norway, Sweden and Denmark.
He boasted of a recent announcement of a “permanent pause” on migration from countries he labeled as part of the Third World, naming Afghanistan, Haiti and Somalia.
He described Somalia as filthy and crime-ridden and mocked Rep. Ilhan Omar’s headscarf while encouraging chants to send her back to Somalia.
His confirmation contrasts with 2018, when he tweeted that the reported language was not what he used and allies including Sens. Tom Cotton and David Perdue and DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said they did not recall the phrase.
The original reports triggered global condemnation, including Botswana summoning the U.S. ambassador and Senegal’s president asserting that Africa and Black people deserve respect.