A Republican senator is insisting that President Donald Trump did not use a vulgar term in referring to African countries during a closed-door meeting on immigration that he and five other senators attended last week.
Georgia Senator David Perdue called reports describing Trump as using vile language in the meeting a “gross misrepresentation” and said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham were mistaken in indicating that was the case.
The Washington Post, citing people brief on the meeting, reported last week that Trump referred to Haiti and African nations as s—thole countries, setting of a political firestorm.
But Perdue said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week: “I am telling you that he did not use that word. And I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation.”
In a separate televised appearance, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton also defended the president. Cotton told CBS’ Face The Nation that he did not hear Trump call Haiti and African nations s—thole countries.
The senator then accused Durbin of misrepresenting what happened at the meeting.
Perdue and Cotton had previously issued a statement saying they “do not recall the President saying those comments specifically.”
World leaders have since denounced Trump’s comments as racist and insensitive, with even some in the GOP criticizing his remarks.
CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
