Fox host on Trump ‘s—hole’ remark: This is how ‘the forgotten men and women’ talk
"This is how the forgotten men and women of America talk at the bar" — @JesseBWatters on Trump's 's—hole' remark pic.twitter.com/pFwBHVIMY7
— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) January 11, 2018
Fox News host Jesse Watters defended President Trump’s reported remark calling Haiti and some African nations “shithole countries” Thursday, arguing that the “forgotten men and women” who make up the president’s base would approve of the remark.
On Fox News’s “The Five,” Watters fought back against criticism from Democrats and some Republicans over Trump’s remark, which some have deemed racist and offensive to immigrants from those nations.
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“This is how the forgotten men and women of America talk at the bar,” Watters told his co-hosts.
“If you’re at a bar, and you’re in Wisconsin, and you think they’re bringing in a bunch of Haiti people, or El Salvadorians, or people from Niger, this is how some people talk,” he said.
“Is it graceful? No,” he added. “Is it polite or delicate? Absolutely not. Is it a little offensive? Of course it is. But you know what? This doesn’t move the needle at all.”
“This is who Trump is … and if he offends some people, fine,” Watters concluded.
Trump faced heavy criticism from both parties on Thursday after The Washington Post reported that he had referred to Haiti and some African nations as “shithole countries” during a heated meeting with lawmakers on immigration.
The White House issued a statement in response to the story and did not deny Trump’s use of the term.
“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” White House spokesman Raj Shah said.
In December, The New York Times reported Trump once suggested Haitian immigrants “all have AIDS,” and Nigerian immigrants would never “go back to their huts” if granted entrance to the U.S.
The White House swiftly denied that report at the time, calling the claims “outrageous.”
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