Senators Durbin, Graham Challenge Trump’s Denial Over ‘Sh*thole’ Remark

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Monday seemed to back reports of President Trump calling Haiti and African nations “shithole countries” at an immigration meeting last week. Graham, one of a handful of lawmakers present at the controversial meeting, had earlier claimed he’d “said his piece” to the president over certain “comments,” though he stopped short of voicing what the comments were. Asked about denials of the comments by Trump and two other lawmakers, Graham told The Post and Courier, “My memory hasn’t evolved. I know what was said and I know what I said.” Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin also stood by his account of the meeting, saying, “I know what happened. I stand by every word that I said.” Durbin had earlier confirmed reports that Trump used the term “shithole countries,” calling the comments “hate-filled, vile, and racist.” Meanwhile, Republican Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue continue to stand by Trump, saying they “do not recall” the president making “these comments specifically.”