Remark made during a fundraising event in an affluent area in Palm Beach, Florida
Complaining, “People from nice countries like Denmark and Norway don’t come”
| AFP United News |
Donald Trump, the U.S. Republican presidential candidate who has been outspoken in his criticism of illegal immigrants, reportedly stated that immigrants come to the U.S. only from “sh*thole countries” and not from “nice” countries like Denmark and Norway, according to a report by The New York Times on the 7th (local time).
The article quoted attendees of a fundraising event held at the mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, owned by billionaire financier John Paulson, where Trump made these comments. Palm Beach, where Paulson’s mansion is located, is a wealthy area where 93.8% of the population is white.
During a 45-minute speech at the dinner, Trump reportedly tailored his remarks to the affluent audience. He referred to immigrants as “people coming from prisons” and said, “They are coming from unbelievable places, countries, where disasters are happening.”
He said, “When I say, ‘Why don’t we allow people to come from nice countries,’ I try to be nice. Do you know of any good countries like Denmark or Switzerland? Are there people coming from Denmark? How about Switzerland? How about Norway?”
The former president said, “They took it as a terrible comment, but I felt fine.” He also mentioned people from Yemen, adding, “They are blowing each other up everywhere.”
The New York Times reported that this seemed to refer to an incident in January 2018 when he called certain Central American and African countries “sh*tholes” during a meeting with lawmakers at the White House to discuss immigration reform. At that time, he used even more explicit language, saying that the U.S. should bring in more people from countries like Norway instead of immigrants from “shi*thole countries,” causing controversy. Trump made these comments the day after he met with Erna Solberg, then prime minister of Norway.
Trump particularly mentioned the surge of immigrants from Central and South America, complaining that gang members make the Hells Angels “look like very nice people.”
He said, “They are brought to our country by boat and left here, and they are staying with us tonight.”
Pointing to the other side, he said, “In fact, I don’t think there are any on this island, but I know there are some on that island, West Palm.” He added, “Congratulations over there. But in the end, they will come here.”
Palm Beach, where Paulson’s mansion is located, is a wealthy area where 93.8% of the population is white. In contrast, West Palm Beach, located across the water, is home to a population of which one-third is black and one-quarter is Hispanic.
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