Trump draws defenders and detractors over immigration comments

WASHINGTON—The South African government announced Monday it would protest disparaging remarks that some say President Donald Trump made in an immigration meeting last week. Trump reportedly used obscene language to refer to African countries and questioned why the United States needed more Haitian immigrants. He denied saying anything disparaging about Haiti but not about other nations. On Sunday, the president told reporters the comments “were not made” and said he is not racist. “President Trump’s denial was not categorical, referring only to Haiti and not addressing the entirety of the statement attributed to him,” the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation wrote in a statement. South Africa and Ghana summoned U.S. diplomats to meet with their governments Monday about the remarks. Haiti, Botswana, and Senegal have also summoned diplomats over the matter, according to CNN. Several lawmakers and Trump officials joined the president for the immigration meeting in question last Thursday. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., affirmed Friday that Trump made the reported remarks. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told The Post Courier he heard from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.—who was in the meeting—the reported obscene remarks were “basically accurate.” GOP Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia said at first they didn’t recall Trump’s words and now deny the president said them. “I am telling you he did not use that word,” Perdue said Sunday on ABC This Week, referring to the obscenity Trump is accused of uttering. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, a meeting attendee, told Fox News she does not recall the exact phrase Trump used to refer to Haiti and African nations.