In shift of tone, Trump says he wants immigrants from 'everywhere'

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President Donald Trump says he wants immigrants to come to the U.S. from "everywhere," despite having said behind closed doors that he'd prefer more immigrants from countries like Norway and not Africa. (Jan. 16) AP

WASHINGTON — President Trump renewed his call for a merit-based immigration system after a weekend of controversy over his reported statement that he'd rather have more immigrants from Norway than Haiti.

Those comments — and his use of the term "shithole countries" to refer to Africa — led to five days of rebukes from both sides of the aisle and cast the future of an immigration compromise into doubt.

But in public on Tuesday, Trump was taking a more diplomatic and less profane approach to immigration.

"I want them to come in from everywhere. Everywhere," he said in a brief exchange with reporters during a meeting with the president of Kazakhstan. 

That's not a departure from his previous position, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Tuesday.

"By definition, a merit-based system is colorblind," she said. "It’s not based on race. It’s not based on religion. It’s not based on country of origin. Actually, it erases all of those things and makes it a much more fair system, instead of picking and choosing and trying to meet quotas."

As the White House tried to turn the conversation back to the merits, senators grilled Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen about what she heard the president say in a meeting with lawmakers in the Oval Office last Thursday. Nielsen said she didn't remember hearing the vulgar reference to Africa. 

More: Homeland Security secretary says she did not hear Trump use vulgar term at meeting

On Twitter, Trump launched a counterattack against Democrats. 

"The Democrats want to shut down the Government over Amnesty for all and Border Security. The biggest loser will be our rapidly rebuilding Military, at a time we need it more than ever. We need a merit based system of immigration, and we need it now! No more dangerous Lottery," Trump tweeted. 

Congress is considering legislation that would make permanent the temporary protections that President Barack Obama gave to so-called DREAMers, the undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States as children. 

As part of that deal, the White House is insisting on an increase in spending on a Mexican border wall, an end to family-based "chain" migration, and an end to visa lottery programs that give preferences to immigrants from certain underrepresented countries.