Mia Love Demands Trump Apology For ‘Shithole Countries’ Comment, Others Criticize President

President Donald Trump questioned the United States policy of accepting immigrants from ‘shithole countries’ during a White House meeting on Thursday – a remark that was rebuked by lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?" Trump said, according to the Washington Post. His remark was targeted toward a specific set of countries, which included Haiti, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

Rep. Mia Love (R-UT), whose parents moved to the U.S. from Haiti, not only condemned the president’s remark, she also demanded an apology for the unkind words, CNN reported.

"This behavior is unacceptable from the leader of our nation. My parents came from one of those countries but proudly took an oath of allegiance to the United States and took on the responsibilities of everything that being a citizen comes with," Love said. "They never took a thing from our federal government. They worked hard, paid taxes, and rose from nothing to take care of and provide opportunities for their children. They taught their children to do the same. That's the American Dream. The President must apologize to both the American people and the nations he so wantonly maligned."

Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) shared Love’s views when it came to Trump’s derogatory comment.

“If these comments are accurate, they are disappointing." Lankford said. "I would not talk about nations like this, because I believe the people of those countries are made in the image of God and have worth and human dignity."

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) tweeted: "The president calling Haiti a 'shithole' country ignores the contributions thousands of Haitians have made to our South Florida community and nation." Ros-Lehtinen tweeted. "Language like that shouldn't be heard in locker rooms and it shouldn't be heard in the White House."

Here are a few other reactionary tweets from Republican lawmakers on the matter:

Needless to say, Democrats did not go easy on Trump either. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) tweeted: “America's president is a racist and this is the proof. His hateful rhetoric has no place in the @WhiteHouse. Every single Republican must denounce these comments now."

Similarly, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) wrote in a tweet: “You would never call a predominantly white country a “shithole” because you are unable to see people of color, American or otherwise, as equals.”

Here are a few other responses from Democratic lawmakers on social media:

The White House did not deny the president used less-than-appropriate words to refer to certain countries.

“Certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries, but President Trump will always fight for the American people,” White House spokesperson Raj Shah said in a statement. “Like other nations that have merit-based immigration, President Trump is fighting for permanent solutions that make our country stronger by welcoming those who can contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation.”

Trump further suggested the U.S. should start admitting immigrants from nations like Norway, whose prime minister met the president Wednesday, the Business Insider reported.

The president’s harsh comment came days after the White house announced the administration will end the Temporary Protected Status for 200,000 Salvadorans who were allowed to live and work in the U.S. legally after their country suffered two massive earthquakes in 2001.