Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 16 January 2018

King children criticize Trump, decry racism on MLK holiday

Continued from Front ers and Trump supporters
yelled at each other from
In Atlanta, King’s daughter, opposing corners.
the Rev. Bernice King, told Trump was staying at the
hundreds of people who resort for the Martin Luther
packed the pews of the King Jr. holiday weekend.
Ebenezer Baptist Church Video posted by WPEC-TV
that they “cannot allow the showed several hundred
nations of the world to em- pro-Haiti demonstrators
brace the words that come yelling from one side of the
from our president as a re- street Monday while wav-
flection of the true spirit of ing Haitian flags.
America.” The Haitians and their
“We are one people, one supporters shouted “Our
nation, one blood, one country is not a shithole,”
destiny. ... All of civilization referring to comments the
and humanity originated president reportedly made.
from the soils of Africa,” Ber- Trump has said that is not
nice King said. the language he used.
“Our collective voice in this The smaller pro-Trump con-
hour must always be louder tingent waved American
than the one who some- flags and campaign post-
times does not reflect the ers and yelled “Trump is
legacy of my father.” making America great
Church pastor the Rev. Ra- again.” Lesa Webb of Denver holds a placard as she gathers to take part in the annual parade to mark
phael Warnock also took is- One man could be seen the birthday of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, in Denver.
sue with Trump’s campaign telling the Haitians to leave Marchers gathered with politicians in spite of cold temperatures, a light snow and slippery roads
slogan to “Make America the country. Police kept the to walk from Denver’s City Park to Civic Center Park to note the holiday.
Great Again.” sides apart. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Warnock said he thinks Trump dedicated his week- written into the soul of hu- The president’s remarks told a crowd of 200 at the
America “is already great ly address to the nation, re- mankind,” he said in the appeared not to resonate National Action Network
... in large measure be- leased Monday, to King. address, which he tweeted with the Rev. in Harlem. He said it was
cause of Africa and African “Dr. King’s dream is our to his followers. Al Sharpton, who also used embarrassing that Trump is
people.” dream, it is the American “It is the dream of a world the holiday to take aim at from New York.
Down the street from dream, it’s the promise where people are judged the racial rhetoric Trump is “What we’re going to do
Trump’s Mar-a-Lago retreat stitched into the fabric of by who they are, not how said to have used. about Donald Trump is go-
in Palm Beach, Florida, on our nation, etched into the they look or where they “Trump Tower is in the ing to be the spirit of Martin
Monday, Haitian protest- hearts of our people and come from.” wrong state,” Sharpton Luther King Day,” he said.q

Trump defends himself anew against charges that he is racist

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE uted to him, but avoided tioned the need to admit spent Thursday evening filled and clearly racial
Associated Press the details of what he did more Haitians to the U.S., calling friends and outside in their content.” He said
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. or did not say. “Did you according to people who advisers to judge their re- Trump used the most vulgar
(AP) — President Donald see what various senators were briefed on the con- action to his remarks. Trump term “more than once.”
Trump is defending himself in the room said about my versation but were not au- wasn’t apologetic and de- Trump took particular issue
anew against accusations comments?” he asked, re- thorized to describe the nied he was racist, instead with the idea that people
that he is racist, this time ferring to lawmakers who meeting publicly. blaming the media for dis- who’d fled to the U.S. af-
after recent disparaging were meeting with him in Trump said in the meeting torting his meaning, said ter disasters hit their homes
comments about Haiti and the Oval Office on Thurs- that he would prefer immi- the confidant, who wasn’t in places such as El Salva-
African nations. day when Trump is said to grants from countries like authorized to disclose a dor, Guatemala and Haiti
“No, No. I’m not a racist,” have made the comments. Norway instead. private conversation and would be allowed to stay
Trump said Sunday, after “They weren’t made.” The White House has not spoke on condition of ano- as part of the deal, accord-
reporters asked him to re- Trump stands accused of denied that Trump said nymity. Sen. Dick Durbin of ing to the people briefed
spond to those who think using “shithole” to describe “shithole,” though Trump Illinois, the only Democrat on the conversation.
he is. “I am the least racist African countries during has already pushed back at Thursday’s meeting, said When it came to talk of
person you have ever inter- an immigration meeting on some depictions of the Trump had indeed said extending protections for
viewed. That I can tell you.” with a bipartisan group of meeting. A confidant of what he was reported to Haitians, Durbin said Trump
Trump also denied mak- six senators. The president, Trump’s told The Associat- have said. Durbin said the replied, “We don’t need
ing the statements attrib- in the meeting, also ques- ed Press that the president remarks were “vile, hate- more Haitians.’”q