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Calling Out Trump Denial, Durbin Confirms President Said 'Those Hate-Filled' Words 'Repeatedly'

"To no surprise the president started tweeting this morning, denying that he used those words. It is not true," said the Illinois senator.

Jake Johnson

President Donald Trump presides over a meeting about immigration with Republican and Democrat members of Congress, including Senate Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), in the Cabinet Room at the White House January 9, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) became the first lawmaker who attended the Thursday Oval Office meeting on immigration—during which President Donald Trump reportedly called Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations "shithole countries"—to step forward and confirm that Trump "repeatedly" said the "hate-filled, vile, and racist" words that were attributed to him by the Washington Post.

"You've seen the comments in the press. I've not read one of them that's inaccurate," Durbin told reporters on Friday. "To no surprise the president started tweeting this morning, denying that he used those words. It is not true. He said these hate-filled things, and he said them repeatedly."

Durbin also said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) "spoke up" after Trump's remarks, but Graham has yet to make a public statement.

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