Trump Admits to ‘Shithole Countries’ Slur After Years of Denial
Former President Donald Trump openly acknowledged Tuesday that he did, in fact, use the phrase “shithole countries” to describe Haiti and African nations during a 2018 immigration meeting with lawmakers — a comment he had vehemently denied making at the time.
“We had a meeting and I said, ‘Why is it we only take people from shithole countries,’ right? ‘Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden?'” Trump told supporters at a Pennsylvania rally on December 9, 2025. He continued, “But we always take people from Somalia. Places that are a disaster. Filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime.”
A Reversal Years in the Making
The admission marks a striking reversal for Trump, who in 2018 took to Twitter to claim that “this was not the language I used” after reports of the inflammatory remarks sparked international outrage. He specifically stated he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians” — a denial now directly contradicted by his own rally comments.
When the original comments surfaced in 2018, they drew swift condemnation from both domestic and international leaders. Congressional Republicans, along with governments including Botswana and Senegal, denounced the remarks as racist for denigrating predominantly Black nations while advocating for migration from predominantly white countries like Norway and Sweden.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall responded at the time by asserting that “Africa and the Black race merit the respect and consideration of all.”
New Context, Same Rhetoric
What prompted Trump’s sudden willingness to own the controversial comments? The admission came as he framed his recent policy announcement of what he called a “permanent pause on Third World migration” from countries he characterized as “hellholes,” specifically naming Afghanistan, Haiti, and Somalia.
The inflammatory language appears to be part of a broader pattern. Has Trump abandoned traditional standards of presidential decorum entirely? Many observers think so, pointing to his increasing use of profanity and slurs in public remarks throughout 2025.
Just last month, on Thanksgiving, Trump used a dated slur for intellectually disabled people when referring to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. When questioned by journalists about this offensive comment, Trump simply replied, “Yeah. I think there’s something wrong with him.”
The former president’s willingness to embrace language he once denied using signals a potential strategic shift as he increasingly leans into rhetoric that energizes his base but alienates others. Critics argue the admission reflects Trump’s confidence that such comments no longer carry the political risk they once did.
For communities targeted by these remarks, particularly immigrant populations from Haiti, Somalia, and other nations Trump has singled out, the public embrace of such language represents more than just political posturing — it’s a painful reminder of sentiment they’ve long suspected but now hear confirmed from the former president’s own mouth.
