Denies He Called Developing Nations ‘Shithole Countries’
Not me. Racially obtuse Trump declared on Sunday night that he was “not a racist” and insisted that the derogatory comment attributed to him during an Oval Office meeting on immigration last week did not occur.
“I’m not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you,” Trump said as he arrived at Trump International Golf Club for dinner with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the majority leader.
Asked about the comments he was reported to have made, including a reference to African nations as “shithole countries,” Trump indicated that he did not say what had been attributed to him.
“Did you see what various senators in the room said about my comments? They weren’t made,” Trump said, referring to two Republican senators who said on Sunday morning talk shows that the president never made, or that they did not hear, racist comments about Africa and Haiti.
Dreamers. The Trump administration, under court order, said it would resume taking applications to renew temporary protections from deportation for hundreds of thousands of “Dreamers” who were brought to our country illegally as children. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it will accept renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It will not accept applications from people who haven’t previously received permits. The agency was forced to act after a federal judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the administration’s plan to end the DACA program. The decision, and continued furor about reports of Trump’s questioning why the U.S. has to accept immigrants from certain “shithole” countries, add to doubts about whether he and Congress can agree on a bill to fund the government before current funding expires Friday. Democrats and some Republicans insist the bill must include language protecting Dreamers from deportation. The administration ended renewals for two-year permits in October. An estimated 144 people daily lose their deportation relief.
False alarm. Hawaii’s false alarm about a nonexistent missile attack underscores the growing risk of unintended nuclear war with North Korea. In Hawaii, 38 minutes elapsed before emergency systems sent a second message announcing the mistake. If the turmoil had unfolded during a major crisis or period of heightened threats, North Korean leaders could have misread the Hawaiian warning as cover for an attack. North Korea is thought to have only a few dozen warheads and would have to fire them immediately to prevent their destruction if war breaks out. North Korea is far more vulnerable than the Soviet Union was to a nuclear strike, giving its officers an even narrower window to judge events and even greater incentive to fire first. “The risk of accidental nuclear war is not hypothetical – accidents have happened in the past, and humans will err again,” said William J. Perry, a defense secretary under former President Bill Clinton. Trump didn’t tweet or say anything about the mishap which had people wondering if they would survive the day.
Mudslides. The death toll from the California mudslides climbed to 20 as officials continued to work to clear the 101 Freeway which has been closed indefinitely. At least 296 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the mudslides. Maintenance crews have been working around the clock to clear the roadway which carries about 100,000 vehicles through the Central Coast each day. Many local roads are also blocked. Hundreds of people have taken to traveling the coast by boat. Two sightseeing companies have worked together to turn their vessels into a ferry service between Ventura and Santa Barbara.
Featured Photo: Trump 2016 election rally in Atlanta.