Hey guys, the UN and shithole presidents think Trump is wrong and racist

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — President Trump’s dismissal of Haiti, El Salvador and African nations as “shithole countries” whose inhabitants are not desirable for U.S. immigration shocked people around the world and provoked swift condemnation.

The president made the remarks Thursday during a White House meeting with lawmakers and suggested that immigrants from Norway would be preferable. Trump has since apparently denied making the off-color remark, describing the language he used only as “tough.”

“The African Union Commission is frankly alarmed at statements by the president of the United States when referring to migrants of African countries and others in such contemptuous terms,” said Ebba Kalondo, the spokeswoman for the African Union. “Considering the historical reality of how many Africans arrived in the U.S. during the Atlantic slave trade, this flies in the face of all accepted behavior and practice.”

She added that the statement was particularly unpleasant coming from the leader of country that is a “global example” of how a strong and diverse country can be the product of migration, and she expressed hope that eventually “the values the U.S. is known for because of its particular experience with migration will come to bear.”

The reaction from the United Nations human rights spokesman, Rupert Colville, was uncharacteristically blunt. He described the remark as “racist.”

“There is no other word one can use but ‘racist,’” he said at a briefing in Geneva. “You cannot dismiss entire countries and continents as ‘shitholes,’ whose entire populations, who are not white, are therefore not welcome.”

['Countries that are like dirty toilets,' and other ways Trump's profanity was translated abroad]

In Haiti, people took to Twitter to share pictures of their country — verdant green hills, palm trees in the sunset, and sparkling turquoise water.

Haiti’s ambassador to the United States condemned the statement and said his country has asked for an explanation of Trump’s comments from American officials.

“In the spirit of the people of Haiti we feel in the statements, if they were made, the president was either misinformed or miseducated about Haiti and its people, ” the ambassador, Paul G. Altidor, said in a statement.

Altidor said the Haitian Embassy in Washington was inundated with emails from Americans apologizing for Trump’s remark, which he found heartening.

Haiti's largest newspaper condemned it as “racist and disgraceful” and said such comments have “no place in the relations between nations or people, even less so in the mouth of a president of a nation friendly to Haiti.”

[Trump derides protections for immigrants from ‘shithole’ countries]

In Africa, similar reactions celebrating the beauty of the continent's countries. A well-known presenter for South Africa’s broadcaster SABC tweeted: “Good morning from the greatest most beautiful ‘shithole country’ in the world!!”

The deputy secretary general of the African National Congress, the party once led by Nelson Mandela, hit back at Trump’s comment during a news conference in South Africa. “Ours is not a shithole country. Neither is Haiti or any other country in distress,” Jessie Duarte said.

Meanwhile, the Daily Maverick, a Johannesburg-based news site, wryly suggested that “Casual Friday at the White House is soon to include hoods and tiki torches at this rate.”

Botswana gave a rare official response to the remarks, summoning the U.S. ambassador there “to clarify whether Botswana is regarded as a ‘shithole’ country” as well and wondering why “President Trump must use this descriptor and derogatory word when talking about countries with whom the U.S. has had cordial and mutually beneficial bilateral relations for many years.” The statement concluded by calling the remarks racist.

Kenyan political cartoonist Victor Ndula, who has criticized Trump’s immigration policies in the past, drew a “‘White’ House map of Africa,” with regions labeled as “west of the shithole,” “southern shithole” and “horn of the shithole” for Kenya’s Star newspaper.

On the other side of the continent, Senegal’s president, Macky Sall, said he was “shocked” by Trump’s comments. Africa and those of African ancestry "deserves the respect and consideration of all,” he wrote on Twitter.

Vicente Fox, a former president of Mexico and a harsh critic of Trump, also noted on Twitter America’s immigrant history. “Your mouth is the foulest shithole in the world,” he wrote, addressing Trump. “With what authority do you proclaim who’s welcome in America and who’s not. America’s greatness is built on diversity, or have you forgotten your immigrant background, Donald?”

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