Trump threatens to shut down any deal over Dreamers
Developments on Day 360 of the Trump Administration:
Trump: “I Am Not A Racist”
Two Republican senators try to rescue Donald Trump from his references to immigrants from “shithole countries”, as Trump says, “I am not a racist.”
GOP Senators David Perdue and Tom Cotton, both of whom were in last Thursday’s meeting on immigration where Trump made his remarks, initially said that they did not hear the words. On Sunday, Perdue modified his account to deny that Trump ever made the comment: “I’m telling you he did not use that word…and I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation.”
Perdue defied not only the version of Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who said Trump repeatedly used the derogatory phrase and “hate-filled, vile, and racist” language, but also his GOP colleague Lindsay Graham, who told other legislators about the incident and criticized Trump.
A White House official soon undercut Perdue’s latest attempt to clear Trump:
White House official told me tonight there is debate internally on whether Trump said "shithole" or "shithouse." Perdue and Cotton seem to have heard latter, this person said, and are using to deny.
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) January 15, 2018
The White House did not deny the news of Trump’s statement when it first surfaced on Thursday, although Trump later tried to push it away with a series of tweets:
Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings – unfortunately, no trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
However, conservative columnist Erick Erickson said Trump called friends to brag about the statement:
It’s weird that people in the room don’t remember Trump using that word when Trump himself was calling friends to brag about it afterwards.
I spoke to one of those friends. The President thought it would play well with the base.
On Sunday, Trump tried once more to escape controversy: “I am the least racist person.”
Five countries — South Africa, Ghana, Haiti, Botswana, and Senegal — have summoned US diplomats over Trump’s statements.
Trump: Dreamer Legislation “Probably Dead”
Meanwhile, Trump prepared to bury his declaration from September that he is prepared to work with Democrats on a deal to enshrine the right to remain in the US for almost 800,000 young undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers”.
In early September, Trump said he would get the legislation by March 5. At the same time, he ordered an end to Barack Obama’s order for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals on that date, putting the Dreamers at risk of deportation.
The DACA bill has been complicated both because of its linkage to efforts to ensure supplementary funding to keep the Federal Government operatin and because of conditions set by Trump and hardline GOP legislators including full funding of The Wall on the Mexican border and an end to immigrants bringing family members into the US.
The latest supplementary funding, required because of the failure of the Trump Administration to even present its initial budget, expires on Friday.
Trump tweeted on Sunday:
DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2018
He echoed the words in his later statement to reporters: “I don’t think the Democrats want to make a deal. I think they talk about DACA but they don’t want to help DACA people.”
Last week a federal judge in California issued an order preventing the Government from scrapping DACA on March 5. Subsequent to the decision, a federal agency said it would renew registration of Dreamers.
