http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5269177/Trump-responds-furor-s-hole-comments.html
BREAKING NEWS: 'I'm not a racist': Trump fires back at accusations he labeled African and Caribbean countries 's***holes' and says he 'is the least racist person you will ever interview'
Published: 00:33 GMT, 15 January 2018 | Updated: 02:07 GMT, 15 January 2018
President Donald Trump has denied he is a racist in response to controversy over his recent remarks.
'I'm not a racist. I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you,' he told reporters in Florida on Sunday, as he was on his way to dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
It marks the president's first direct response to accusations of racism that have dogged him since he allegedly asked 'Why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here?' in an Oval Office meeting about immigration on Thursday.
Trump has denied using that language, however a Democrat senator present at the meeting insists he did. A Republican senator present backed the president.
'I'm not a racist. I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you,' Trump said Sunday on his way to dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left)
Trump addressed the media scrum at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, marking the first time he has responded to repeated questions over whether he is a 'racist'
Trump was reportedly speaking about Haitians and citizens of various African nations, and asked why the US doesn't welcome more immigrants from countries like Noway instead.
Trump on Sunday again denied making the statements attributed to him, but didn't get into specifics about what he did or did not say.
'Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments?' he asked. 'They weren't made.'
The alleged remarks brought down furious condemnation on Trump from Democrats and media talking heads.
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, told CNN 's Erin Burnett on Friday, 'We know he's a racist, he's demonstrated that... he's a racist both in his actions and his words.'
Trump has denied using the specific term that brought him condemnation, but acknowledged using 'tough' language in the meeting about DACA
Trump shakes hands with attendees after signing a proclamation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Friday. He has directly addressed a racism row for the first time
Johnson said that the language Trump reportedly used hearkens back to the '50s and '60s, it is the language of a Ross Barnett and a George Wallace.'
He added that the issue will help to motivate African-American voters in the 2018 mid-term elections.
Trump repeatedly told voters he is not a racist leading up to his 2016 election.
The president claimed in a tweet on Friday morning that the widely reported 'sh**hole' comments he is said to have made Thursday were not correct.
'The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used.'
In the press scrum on Sunday, Trump added that he was 'ready, willing and able' to reach a deal to protect immigrants brought to the United States as children
BREAKING NEWS: 'I'm not a racist': Trump fires back at accusations he labeled African and Caribbean countries 's***holes' and says he 'is the least racist person you will ever interview'
- President Trump made the brief remarks to reporters on Sunday in Florida
- Marks his first direct response to racism accusations in 's***hole' controversy
- Trump allegedly denigrated Haiti and African countries in immigration talks
Published: 00:33 GMT, 15 January 2018 | Updated: 02:07 GMT, 15 January 2018
President Donald Trump has denied he is a racist in response to controversy over his recent remarks.
'I'm not a racist. I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you,' he told reporters in Florida on Sunday, as he was on his way to dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
It marks the president's first direct response to accusations of racism that have dogged him since he allegedly asked 'Why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here?' in an Oval Office meeting about immigration on Thursday.
Trump has denied using that language, however a Democrat senator present at the meeting insists he did. A Republican senator present backed the president.
![4825AC3700000578-0-image-a-11_1515976387783.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/15/00/4825AC3700000578-0-image-a-11_1515976387783.jpg)
'I'm not a racist. I'm the least racist person you have ever interviewed. That I can tell you,' Trump said Sunday on his way to dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (left)
![4825BB5200000578-5269177-image-a-14_1515978886746.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/15/01/4825BB5200000578-5269177-image-a-14_1515978886746.jpg)
Trump addressed the media scrum at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, marking the first time he has responded to repeated questions over whether he is a 'racist'
Trump was reportedly speaking about Haitians and citizens of various African nations, and asked why the US doesn't welcome more immigrants from countries like Noway instead.
Trump on Sunday again denied making the statements attributed to him, but didn't get into specifics about what he did or did not say.
'Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments?' he asked. 'They weren't made.'
The alleged remarks brought down furious condemnation on Trump from Democrats and media talking heads.
Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, told CNN 's Erin Burnett on Friday, 'We know he's a racist, he's demonstrated that... he's a racist both in his actions and his words.'
![4825AE9D00000578-5269177-image-a-13_1515978263766.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/15/01/4825AE9D00000578-5269177-image-a-13_1515978263766.jpg)
Trump has denied using the specific term that brought him condemnation, but acknowledged using 'tough' language in the meeting about DACA
![4812748400000578-5269177-image-a-2_1515980611687.jpg](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2018/01/15/01/4812748400000578-5269177-image-a-2_1515980611687.jpg)
Trump shakes hands with attendees after signing a proclamation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Friday. He has directly addressed a racism row for the first time
Johnson said that the language Trump reportedly used hearkens back to the '50s and '60s, it is the language of a Ross Barnett and a George Wallace.'
He added that the issue will help to motivate African-American voters in the 2018 mid-term elections.
Trump repeatedly told voters he is not a racist leading up to his 2016 election.
The president claimed in a tweet on Friday morning that the widely reported 'sh**hole' comments he is said to have made Thursday were not correct.
'The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used.'
In the press scrum on Sunday, Trump added that he was 'ready, willing and able' to reach a deal to protect immigrants brought to the United States as children