At a White House meeting he wanted to know why he should accept immigrants from "shithole countries", naming Haiti, El Salvador and "African countries". So two countries, a continent and many millions more will be offended by his choice of language.
And it gets worse. He followed that question with another. Why, he apparently said, can the US not take more immigrants from countries like Norway? So the comments were not only disparaging, but also, on the face of it, racist as well.
:: Trump denounces immigration from 'shithole countries'
It was said at a closed-door meeting. But he cannot for a moment have imagined that such comments - at a bi-partisan meeting with Republican and Democrat members of Congress - could ever have conceivably been kept private.
And that begs the question…why did he say it?
The only explanation is an unpalatable one. He must have believed that such comments couched in such language would appeal in some way to people who were, and may still be, inclined to vote for him. I cannot think of another reason why he would do it.
This is not some guy in a bar who may be hacked off with immigration because his job was at risk. This is the President of the United States, a country built on diversity and inclusion and freedom.
His message is essentially if you're not white, you're not welcome. It may be received well by some parts of the President's base, but it sits very uncomfortably with many in modern America.
Three weeks ago the New York Times reported that at another meeting Mr Trump complained that Haitians admitted to the country all had AIDS and that Nigerian immigrants would never go back to their "huts".
The White House vehemently denied he said those things. There has, thus far, been no denial about his latest comments.
There will be outrage, there will be condemnation and among a few here, there will be support. What there won't be... is surprise.