Trump accused of lying about 's***hole countries' rant

Donald Trump has been accused of lying about referring to Central American and African nations as ‘shithole countries’ amid a furious backlash over his reported comments during an immigration meeting.

The President is accused of using the slur during a meeting with lawmakers, apparently asking: ‘Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?’ and ‘Why do we need more Haitians?’.

Trump appeared to deny using the term later in tweet. He also denied making derogatory remarks about Haitians.

But Democrat Senator Dick Durbin, who was present at the meeting, insisted that Trump did indeed use ‘racist’ language.

Mr Durbin said: ‘In the course of his comments said things which were hate-filled, vile and racist.

‘I cannot believe that in the history of the White House, in that Oval Office, any president has ever spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday.

‘To no surprise the President started tweeting this morning, denying that he used those words. It is not true. He said those things. And he said them repeatedly.’

Congressional Black Caucus leader Cedric Richmond said that Trump’s comments are “proof” that his Make America Great Again slogan really means “Make America White Again”.

Richmond said in a statement: “President Trump’s comments are yet another confirmation of his racially insensitive and ignorant views. It also reinforces the concerns that we hear every day, that the President’s slogan Make America Great Again is really code for Make America White Again.

“Unfortunately, there is no reason to believe that we can negotiate in good faith with a person who holds such vile and reprehensible beliefs.”

A UN human rights official also branded the outburst racist.

Spokesperson Rupert Coleville said: ‘If confirmed these are shocking and shameful comments from the President of the United States.

‘There is not other word you can use but racist.’

The White House did not deny his remark outright, but issued a statement saying Mr Trump supports immigration policies that welcome “those who can contribute to our society”.

Mr Trump’s reported remarks were remarkable even by the standards of a president who has been accused by his foes of racist attitudes and has routinely smashed through public decorum that his modern predecessors have generally embraced.

He has claimed without evidence that Barack Obama, the nation’s first black president, was not born in the US; said Mexican immigrants were “bringing crime” and were “rapists”; and claimed there were “very fine people on both sides” after violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, left a counter-protester dead.