How Republican Lawmakers Responded to Trumps Vulgar Immigration Remarks

More Republican Senators than I thought denounced -- or at least criticized Trump's racist remarks, and many who didn't say anything. It's the "sidesteppers" who are particularly disgusting.


How Republican Lawmakers Responded to Trump’s Vulgar Immigration Remarks
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/12/us/politics/republican-statements-trump-shithole.html
By THOMAS KAPLAN, EMILY BAUMGAERTNER and ALICIA PARLAPIANO UPDATED JAN. 14, 2018 12:45 P.M.

Reports that President Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries” and disparaged Haitians during an immigration meeting on Thursday prompted outcry from some lawmakers, but his comments were followed by notable silence from others. Here’s how Republicans in the House leadership, the Senate and other lawmakers who attended the meeting have responded:

Denounced the President’s Comments
Some lawmakers specifically criticized the president, while others countered the sentiment of his remarks.

snip

Sidestepped or Did Not Denounce the President’s Comments
A handful of Republican lawmakers either sidestepped the controversy or did not directly denounce the president’s comments. Others disputed whether Mr. Trump made the vulgar remark at all, creating differing accounts from inside the room.

Senator Bill Cassidy La.
“Whether he said it or not, that’s not the issue. What about the higher problem of what do we do about border security and DACA?” »


Senator Ted Cruz Tex.
“I don’t know what was said and what wasn’t said. I can tell you the approach that I’ve tried to take in Washington is to stay out of the nastiness and the attacks and the ‘he said, she said,’ and the insults, and try to focus on substance, try to focus on results, delivering results.” »


Senator Rand Paul Ky.
“I think it’s unfair to sort of draw conclusions from a remark that I think wasn’t constructive is the least we can say, and I think it’s unfair then to all of the sudden, paint him, ‘Oh, well, he's a racist.’ ”


Senator David Perdue Ga. (WAS AT THE MEETING)
“I’m telling you he did not use that word, George, and I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation,” he said, responding to George Stephanopoulos of ABC News.

In a joint statement, Mr. Perdue and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas had previously said, “We do not recall the president saying these comments specifically.” »

Senator Tom Cotton Ark. (WAS AT THE MEETING)
“I did not hear derogatory comments about individuals or persons, no.” »


Representative Mario Diaz-Balart Fla. (WAS AT THE MEETING)
“There are almost 800,000 young DACA beneficiaries who will face imminent deportation in March if we do not reach a deal. I will not be diverted from all possible efforts to continue negotiating to stop the deportations.” »