Donald Trump at a meeting referred to El Salvador, Haiti, and African nations as ‘shithole countries” and wondered why we couldn’t have more immigrants from Norway instead of them. This has made even mainstream media commentators, who usually try to use euphemisms to soft-pedal what presidents say, outright call him a racist. Here’s Anderson Cooper reacting.

Chris Cilizza writes that Trump has hit a new rock bottom.

On Thursday, in a meeting with a senators and House members on immigration, the President of the United States, asked this: “Why do we want all these people from ‘shithole countries’ coming here?
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Yes, he said “shithole countries” — apparently in reference to the fact that immigrants from places like El Salvador, Haiti and Africa were being protected in a potential bipartisan deal to preserve the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and secure funding for border security.

What’s even more appalling is that the White House didn’t even try to deny that Trump used that slur, which was first reported in The Washington Post. In fact, in a lengthy statement from White House spokesman Raj Shah, the administration seemed to even defend the sentiment. “Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” said Shah.

But it gets even worse. Asked about the “shithole” comments, a White House official told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins this:

“The President’s ‘shithole’ remark is being received much differently inside of the White House than it is outside of it. Though this might enrage Washington, staffers predict the comment will resonate with his base, much like his attacks on NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem did not alienate it.”
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This is not only a President of the United States voicing racist sentiment in front of a group of people. It is also doubling down on those sentiments — proudly! — because it might advance his political power among his base.

Republican congresswoman from Utah Mia Love, who is a Haitian-American, has called for Trump to apologize. That will never happen. Because with Trump, there is no rock bottom, no sense of decency at all.

After Charlottesville, his White House spokespersons tried to imply that Trump’s words were being misinterpreted as being racist. Now they don’t bother. They openly accept that this is how he relates to his base.