Lee Zeldin Defends Trump’s ‘Shithole’ Comment
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
By Nathan Guttman January 12, 2018
Only few Republicans chose to stand up for President Trump after news broke of his derogatory comment, referring to immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador and Africa as coming from “shithole” countries.
Among those speaking out in Trump’s defense was New York Republican Lee Zeldin, one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress.
“Pres @realDonaldTrump wasn’t elected for his ability or willingness to be politically correct,” Zeldin tweeted. “The fact is that there are many nations in the world struggling mightily… politically & economically, w poor infrastructure, schools, physical security & more.”
Zeldin explained in another tweet while these “third world nations have some of the worst possible challenges imaginable, they also have certain aspects of culture, tradition, values, & religion, that can be emulated the world over.”
The New York Republican concluded his thread by saying that he is “not here to call for the President’s mouth to be washed out w soap & then for him to be physically removed from office. He’s not perfect, but no President has ever been perfect. I’m still very strongly rooting for his success & America’s success in this great new year.”
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman
Did you know that only 2% of Forward readers donate to support our nonprofit newsroom? That 2% make it possible for millions to read the Forward without a paywall or subscription — removing any barriers to the full and fair Jewish story.
But while the Forward is free to read, it isn’t free to produce. Big stories — like deep dives into the antisemitism data, political scoops or reporting trips to college campuses — take months of research and fact-checking. All while we keep you informed of what you need to know each day.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Forward Publisher & CEO
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
