Posted on 01/13/2018 8:01:23 AM PST by markomalley
In the battle of credibility between President Donald Trump and Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) over whether the chief executive referred to certain Third Word countries as “s***holes,” most of the media have sided with the Democrat.
But a pair of Republican senators who were at the White House meeting Thursday, Georgia’s David Perdue and Arkansas’ Tom Cotton, said Friday they do not recall Trump making the remark.
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), said on “The Ingraham Angle” Friday night that Durbin’s account should be viewed with great skepticism.
“It’s the only thing they have,” said Chaffetz, now a Fox News analyst. “Look, there were six members of Congress in that room. There was only one Democrat. And only the Democrat is saying that this happened. And I think it’s highly suspect when Dick Durbin, who has a history of doing this — I mean, he’s used this card on Republicans before and was absolutely wrong.”
Fox News host Laura Ingraham referenced past questionable statements by Durbin.
In October 2013, Durbin wrote in a Facebook post that a House Republican leader treated then-President Barack Obama disrespectfully.
“In a ‘negotiation’ meeting with the president, one GOP House leader told the president: ‘I cannot even stand to look at you,’” Durbin wrote at the time.
The problem, according to no less a source than Obama’s White House spokesman, was that it was untrue.
“I looked into this and spoke with somebody who was in that meeting and it did not happen,” then-press secretary Jay Carney told reporters at the daily briefing.
Carney reiterated the point when asked a second time: “My understanding is that, again, from a participant in the meeting, that that didn’t happen.”
For his part, Trump denied disparaging Haiti during the meeting with lawmakers to negotiate a deal to grant legal status to people enrolled in the soon-to-expire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country,” Trump tweeted Friday. “Never said ‘take them out.’ Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record future meetings — unfortunately, no trust!”
Ingraham also highlighted a 2005 speech on the Senate floor in which Durbin compared U.S. soldiers to Nazis and goons of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot.
Democratic strategist Robin Biro told Ingraham that, as a military veteran, he, too, took offense to Durbin’s comments about the military. But he tried to turn the conversation back to the current president.
“Politicians say the darndest things, and Donald Trump is now a politician, and he is one of those people saying the most absurd things,” he said.
But to Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), it is Cotton and Perdue who are not telling the truth.
“It tells me Sens. Cotton and Perdue are lying,” Lieu told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “If the president of the United States said the word s***hole 24 hours ago, you would know that. Either the president said it or he didn’t. You don’t say you don’t recall. And that tells me the president actually did say that.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who joined Durbin in presenting the DACA proposal that Trump rejected, issued a statement that did not directly confirm Durbin’s allegation but suggested the president said something offensive.
“Following comments by the president, I said my piece directly to him yesterday,” he stated. “The president and all those attending the meeting know what I said and how I feel. I’ve always believed that America is an idea, not defined by its people but by its ideals.”
Beginning to detest them?
The biggest misnomer about this state is that it's all liberal. It's not. Chicago (Cook County) and East St. Louis are heavy urban democrats. The rest of this state is pretty Red.
The gerrymandering that happens here is pretty amazing, I'm shocked these maps keep being permitted. In 2012 I was redistricted out of a safe Republican district into a Chicago Democrat district and I'm 28 miles SW of Chicago!!! The shennanigans that occur redrawing maps to eliminate Republicans is pretty astounding.
I don’t care if it is true.
I do care that Dirtbag Durbin released it.
NEVER include him in anything ever again.
“Turban” Durbin is a LIEberal!
LIEberals LIE!
Ergo, “Turban” Durbin is LYING!
Nothing more need be said!
The opposition want to attack and analyze the question,
but none of them want to answer it.
They still have a few good conservatives like Carlson and Hannity.
It is Flake...why is he not running again? Hmmm His name sure fits him.
Truth is there are great American workers that do want jobs, yes of course there are Americans that do not want to work, can’t pass background or drug test.
The thing is though...not all illegals want to work either. Not all of the illegals can pass a drug or background check. Many of them do not come here to work; they come here to engage in criminal activity or get on the social programs or both. The real truth is most people that hire illegals don’t bother to do drug testing or background checks on them.
No one should come here illegally or be here illegally. If companies cannot hire illegals, and must hire American workers and cannot fill all the jobs then we need to look at ways to solve that issue- legal immigration IF needed and AS needed.
Possible...but during the campaign Trump referred to some country or countries as he!!hole/s so it could be that is what he actually said too.
I really don’t care what he said, I am far more troubled by a Congressman that would run to the media about anything said in a private meeting. Many places are $h!th*les and he!!h*les here and other countries, it is a fact.
We don’t need to fill our country with people from those countries. That is also a fact. We may or may not decide to let in a limited number for humanitarian reasons from time to time but our immigration policy- like all of our policies needs to put America and Americans first. We must always look at the situation to see if it benefits us and/or our people. Or even for humanitarian reasons we need to be sure it is not going to harm this country or our people.
Don't be silly. That group of senators asked to see the President BEFORE Durbin's backstabbing stunt. In the future, I wish President Trump would follow his predecessor's lead and refuse to deal with the opposite party under any circumstances.
Personally I think ALL senators are corrupt, backstabbing scum, but that's just me.
If I were Trump I would not allow Flake or Durbin back in the White House.
Durbin’s mouth is a sh*thole.
Ain't a'gonna happen with The Donald!
Besides... has anyone heard the Democ🐀s ever be reasonable or ever tell the truth...? They are like the spoiled kid in school who always expects to get their way. Their father is the Father of Lies!
Absolutely.
There are programs to get people legally.
There are certainly people needing jobs that are not druggies or undependable. Many are “old” . They continue to try to get a new job that is in effect their old job. They need to be more flexible and do what the employer needs done rather than what they think they know how to do.
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