South Florida politicians are condemning President Donald Trump's reported comments in which he described some nations as "s**thole countries" during immigration discussions.
A source said Trump grew frustrated during discussions about the visa lottery system, NBC News reports. Immigration from countries such as Haiti, El Salvador and the African continent was being discussed.
"Why are we having all these people from s**thole countries come here?" Trump said, according to sources who were either at the meeting or are familiar with the talks.
He also suggested countries such as Norway should get preference when related to immigration to the United States. The use of an expletive directed at such countries has been widely condemned.
Carlos Curbelo
U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, a Republican who represents Florida's 26th district, said that immigration legislation "can’t be crafted with the sentiments apparently expressed today."
"Let’s turn this around & do right by passing a bill that makes America safer & welcomes DACA & TPS beneficiaries," Curbelo wrote on Twitter.
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Frederica Wilson
U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat who represents Florida's 24th district, said that "it is a travesty that our nation is being led by someone who demeans the presidency at every opportunity by word, tweet and deed."
“I should be disappointed by reports that President Trump thinks that Haiti, El Salvador and African nations are ‘s**thole countries’ and that he has a decided preference for immigrants from countries like Norway, but I’m not. Nor am I surprised," Wilson wrote in a statement. “His comments are yet another sign that people of color cannot count on this administration to create an agenda that treats all Americans fairly, regardless of their race, creed or color. To them I say, don’t get mad. Vote.”
Debbie Wasserman-Schultz
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, a Democrat who represents Florida's 23rd district, said that "Donald Trump is not only a bad president, he is a bad person."
"There should be no place for his vile comments in our public discourse," Wasserman-Schultz wrote on Twitter.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican who represents Florida's 27th district, said Trump's comment "ignores the contributions thousands of Haitians have made to our [South Florida] community and nation."
"Language like that shouldn't be heard in locker rooms and it shouldn't be heard in the White House," Ros-Lehtinen wrote on Twitter.
Jeb Bush
Former Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who ran against Trump in the Republican primary for the 2016 election, also expressed disappointment over Trump's comments.
"For every one step forward [Trump] takes when it comes to judgment and good, coherent policy decisions, he inexplicably and without fail takes ten steps back," Bush wrote on Twitter. "I hope today’s comments were just a crass and flippant mistake, and do not reflect the hateful racism they imply."
Mia Love
Though not a South Florida politician, U.S. Rep. Mia Love, a Republican who serves Utah's 4th district, is the first Haitian-American elected to U.S. Congress. She said Trump's comments are "unkind, divisive, elitist, and fly in the face of our nation's values.
"This behavior is unacceptable from the leader of our nation. My parents came from one of those countries but proudly took an oath of allegiance to the United States and took on the responsibilities of everything that being a citizen comes with. They never took a thing from our federal government. They worked hard, paid taxes, and rose from nothing to take care of and provide opportunities for their children. They taught their children to do the same. That's the American Dream. The President must apologize to both the American people and the nations he so wantonly maligned."
Carlos A. Gimenez
"If true, President Trump's remarks are very unfortunate and shameful. As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, I have personally experienced the contributions of the thousands of Haitian-Americans, Salvadorans, and other residents from throughout the world who call our community home," Gimenez said in a statement. "I can attest to their hopes to build better lives for their families and to their great contributions to our beautiful community and to the United States."
The White House
Following criticism over the comments, the White House issued a statement that did not deny the remarks.
"Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people," White House Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told NBC News. "He will always reject temporary, weak and dangerous stopgap measures that threaten the lives of hardworking Americans, and undercut immigrants who seek a better life in the United States through a legal pathway."
