--- title: These ‘Shithole Countries’ Have a Message for Donald Trump description: President Donald Trump reportedly singled out Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as "shithole countries." They aren't happy canonical: https://time.com/5100481/donald-trump-shithole-countries-respond/ author: Nash Jenkins article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-12T13:50:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-12T22:56:53.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: ‘Enough Is Enough!’ These ‘Shithole Countries’ Have a Message for President Trump og:description: "Good morning from the greatest most beautiful 'shithole country' in the world!!!" og:url: https://time.com/5100481/donald-trump-shithole-countries-respond/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d3824b430c8496b/6988f80b0a4a2238749d1610/gettyimages-903215022.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4000 og:image:height: 2250 og:image:alt: FILE: Trump Heads To Davos og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: ‘Enough Is Enough!’ These ‘Shithole Countries’ Have a Message for President Trump twitter:description: "Good morning from the greatest most beautiful 'shithole country' in the world!!!" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d3824b430c8496b/6988f80b0a4a2238749d1610/gettyimages-903215022.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'Enough Is Enough!' 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=3d6d3d2b-8f3a-4096-b9ba-5ef255719243&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump and the TIME Cover: An Animated History [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump and the TIME Cover: An Animated History](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/GvB4NeP3.m3u8) (3:41)  _Published 2018-01-10. Donald Trump and the TIME Cover: An Animated History_ by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:56 PM UTCPublished: Jan 12, 2018 1:50 PM UTC by [Nash Jenkins](https://time.com/author/p-nash-jenkins/) ## Nash Jenkins Updated: Dec 12, 2023 10:56 PM UTCPublished: Jan 12, 2018 1:50 PM UTC President Donald Trump reportedly singled out Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as “shithole countries” during a rant about immigration Thursday. Those places aren’t happy [Trump’s comments](http://time.com/5100058/donald-trump-shithole-countries/) came during a meeting with lawmakers at the White House held to reach a bipartisan immigration deal, according to the [Washington ](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.1a8af0bb4f15)[_Post_](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-attacks-protections-for-immigrants-from-shithole-countries-in-oval-office-meeting/2018/01/11/bfc0725c-f711-11e7-91af-31ac729add94%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.1a8af0bb4f15)_,_ which broke the news. Sources familiar with the meeting told the _Post_ that the president was amenable to more immigrants from Norway and Asia, whom he says help the country economically, but wondered aloud “why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” According to the _Post_, Trump also said, “Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.” On Friday morning Trump posted a series of tweets about the immigration deal in which he appeared to deny he said “shithole countries.” “The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!” he wrote. > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951793123985973248) In a second tweet, sent around two hours after the first, Trump said that he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country” and that he never uttered the phrase “take them out.” Trump also claimed that the accusation was “made up” by members of the Democratic Party. “I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians,” he added. “Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!” > [](https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/951813216291708928) However, the White House on Thursday did not deny the _Post’s_ report about Trump’s language. A spokesman for the United Nations said Friday that Trump’s reported words were racist. “There is no other word one can use but ‘racist’… This isn’t just a story about vulgar language, it’s about opening the door to humanity’s worst side, about validating and encouraging racism and xenophobia,” United Nations human rights spokesman [Rupert Colville said](http://fortune.com/2018/01/12/un-human-rights-trump-shithole-countries-racism/). “You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as ‘shitholes’, whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome.” Here’s how Trump’s alleged “shithole countries” are responding to the remarks: ## Haiti [CBS News](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-shthole-countries-response-from-haiti-africa-el-salvador/) reports that the Haitian government promptly summoned charge d’affairs Robin Diallo, the top U.S. diplomat in the country, to respond to the comments. Former Haitian Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe tweeted, “SHAME ON TRUMP! The world is witnessing a new low today with this #ShitholeNations remark! totally unacceptable! uncalled for moreover it shows a lack a respect and IGNORANCE never seen before in the recent history of the US by any President! Enough is enough!!” > [](https://twitter.com/LaurentLamothe/status/951664316352286721) The Haitian government said in a statement “these insulting and reprehensible statements in no way reflect the virtues of wisdom, restraint and discernment that must be cultivated by any high political authority,” according to [the Associated Press](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the%5Famericas/haiti-calls-reported-trump-remark-racist-says-shocked/2018/01/12/f2424a72-f7a5-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.555da4225ee1), adding that the comment “reflects a totally erroneous and racist view of the Haitian community and its contribution to the United States.” Other Haitians took to social media to share pictures of their nation’s beautiful beaches to make a point about the president’s alleged remarks. > [](https://twitter.com/haroldisaac/status/951609911489724417) ## El Salvador Hugo Martinez, El Salvador’s foreign minister, tweeted calling on the U.S. government to confirm or deny Trump’s statements. In subsequent tweets, he noted that a number of individuals who helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina were from El Salvador and saying that he “feels proud to be Salvadoran.” > [](https://twitter.com/HugoMartinezSV/status/951669267262472197) > [](https://twitter.com/HugoMartinezSV/status/951669419352129536) > [](https://twitter.com/HugoMartinezSV/status/951669613179342848) > [](https://twitter.com/HugoMartinezSV/status/951669700429254656) Jean Manes, the U.S. envoy to El Salvador, tweeted that the United States “values the friendship and the relationship with the Salvadoran people.” Manes added that she has had “the privilege to travel around this beautiful country and meet thousands of Salvadorans,” and that it is “an honor” to live and work there.” > [](https://twitter.com/USAmbSV/status/951638234802638848) ## African Union The African Union responded to the reported remarks by pointing out many Africans arrived in the U.S. as slaves. “Given the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the United States as slaves, this statement flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice,” Ebba Kalondo, a spokesperson for the 55-nation African Union, told the [Associated Press](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/africa-startled-by-trumps-sudden-and-vulgar-attention/2018/01/12/ad4259b0-f766-11e7-9af7-a50bc3300042%5Fstory.html?utm%5Fterm=.5b234b745f46). “This is particularly surprising as the United States of America remains a global example of how migration gave birth to a nation built on strong values of diversity and opportunity.” Leanne Manas, a news anchor for the South African Broadcasting Corporation, tweeted Friday morning, “Good morning from the greatest most beautiful “shithole country” in the world!!!” > [](https://twitter.com/LeanneManas/status/951665278299136000) Somali information minister Abdirahman Omar Osman told [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/12/politics/trump-shithole-countries-reaction-intl/index.html), “If it’s real, it doesn’t need a response. Those comments do not deserve a response.” Mmusi Maimane, the leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance party, described Trump’s comments as “abhorrent” on Twitter. His tweet continued: “He confirms a patronizing view of Africa and promotes a racist agenda. Africa/U.S. relations will take strain from this, with a leader who has failed to reconcile humanity. The hatred of Obama’s roots now extends to an entire continent.” ## Transcript I think we have the all time record in the history of TIME magazine. I've been on for 15 times this year. I don't think that's a record, Mike, that can ever be broken. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ SOUND ] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5100481/donald-trump-shithole-countries-respond/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5100481/donald-trump-shithole-countries-respond/"},"headline":"'Enough Is Enough!' 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