By J. Zamgba Browne
Chief Correspondent
President Donald Trump’s incendiary comment about immigrants coming to the United Sates from “shithole countries” continues to send shock waves and generate global condemnation.
On the home front, Democrat and Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill sharply criticized those comments as “divisive” and “unacceptable.” In Haiti, the top American diplomat was summoned there to discuss Trump’s remarks.
The government of Haiti later issued a statement, saying that it is “deeply shocked” and strongly condemns these “abhorrent and obnoxious remarks” by the President of the United States.
The statement also called for the respect and dignity of all people and the preservation of its relationship with the United States which values solidarity, altruism and the “respect differences” for people all over the world.
Former Haitian Prime Minister Llaurent Lamothe reacted as follows: “Shame on Trump! “The world is witnessing a new low today” and called Trump’s remarks “totally unacceptable”
“It shows a lack of respect and ignorance never seen before in the recent history of the U.S. by any president,” Lamothe tweeted.
With the U.S. ambassadorship in Haiti vacant, Robin Diallo, and the Charge d’affaires at embassy .was expected to meet with Haitian President Jovenel Moise, to discuss the insult.
Haiti’s U.S. envoy, Paul Altdor, condemned what he called Trump’s “misguided remarks and said he was surprised and disappointed and hoped there might be an apology for his country.”
The President reportedly made the comments at closed-door White House talks on immigration deals to slice the number of people entering the United States through its visa lottery program.
Lawmakers, especially Republicans, are pushing to drastically reduce the figure by half, with the rest going to underrepresented countries in Africa and nations with temporary protected status.
At the United Nations, human rights spokesman Rupert Colville condemned Trump’s remarks as “shocking and shameful” and going against the world’s “universal values.”
“I am sorry, but there is no other word one can use but racist,” Colville said responding to reporters at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
He added, “You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents whose populations are not white as ‘shitholes’.” Colville continued.
Meanwhile, Trump who is often described as a part logical liar, denied describing certain nations in such vulgar terms. But several members of his party who were at the meeting and heard the comments dismissed his denial.
The African Union, a group representing the continent’s countries, and African ambassadors to the United Nations, sharply denounced Trump’s reference to African nations as “shitholes” and called on him to retract his statement and apologize.
“The African Union Mission wishes to express its infuriation, disappointment and outrage over the unfortunate comment made by Trump.
“His remarks dishonor the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity,” the African Union mission to the United States said in a blistering statement.
Condemning the comments “in the strongest terms,” the AU demanded “a retraction of the comment as well as an apology, not only to the Africans, but to all people of African descent around the globe.”
African UN envoys issued a statement saying the group is “extremely appalled at, and strongly condemns the outrageous, racist and xenophobic remarks attributed to the President of the United States of America.”
Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, two top House Democrats have introduced a resolution to ensure President Trump in the wake of vulgar comments he reportedly made about immigrants coming from shitthole countries.
“We were deeply disturbed and offended by the President’s remarks regarding Haiti and African countries,” said Dedric Richmond, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“The countries he called shsitholes produce immigrants who are remarkable and makes significant contributions to our country. A high percentage of those immigrants have college degrees, and when they get here, they create business and jobs,” said Richmond.
The NAACP accused Trump of “continuous lowbrow, callous and unfiltered racism” after calling Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations “shithol countries.”
“As our nation fights to move forward, our President falls deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of racism and xenophobia,” a statement from the nation’s leading civil rights organization reads.
“The United States’ position as a moral leader throughout the world has been thoroughly damaged by the continuous lowbrow, callous and unfiltered racism repeatedly espoused by President Trump.”
“His decision to use profanity to describe African, Central American and Caribbean countries is not only a low mark for this president, it is a low point for our nation,” said the NAACP.
The African Union, a group that represents the continent’s countries, and African ambassadors to the United Nations, sharply denounced President Trump’s reference to African nations as “shitholes” and called on him to retract his statement and apologize.
“The African Union Mission wishes to express its infuriation, disappointment and outrage over the unfortunate comment made by, President Trump
Trump’s remarks dishonor the celebrated American creed and respect for diversity and human dignity,” the African Union mission to the United States said in a blistering statement.
Condemning the comments “in the strongest terms,” the AU demanded “a retraction of the comment as well as an apology, not only to the Africans, but to all people of African descent around the globe.”
African UN envoys issued a statement saying their group is “extremely appalled at, and strongly condemns the outrageous, racist and xenophobic remarks attributed to the President of the United States of America.”
Meanwhile a nephew of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Newton Farris Jr. said he does not believe Trump is a “racist in the traditional sense,” he does thinks the President is “racially ignorant and racially uninformed.”
And Dr. King’s daughter, the Rev.Bernice King weighed in on the Trump controversy, and said his remarks are, ”troubling to our community.” She added that “we have heard so many things from him via Twitter and otherwise that have been extremely troubling to our community.”
