WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Donald Trump marked his first Martin Luther King Jr. national holiday Monday largely out of sight, buffeted by accusations that he used a racially tinged word to describe African countries and scoffed at the suggestion of admitting more Haitians to the U.S.
Trump decamped to his Florida estate for the long weekend, spending hours each day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
On Friday, before he departed the White House, Trump encouraged the public “to observe this day with acts of civic work and community service in honor of Dr. King’s extraordinary life … and his great legacy” as he signed a proclamation recognizing Monday as the national holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader. King’s family also urges the public to observe the holiday by performing civic work and acts of kindness.
Trump dedicated his weekly address to the nation, released Monday, to King. The tribute followed a firestorm that erupted last week after he was accused of using the word “shithole” to describe African countries and seeming to balk at admitting more Haitians to the U.S. He voiced a desire for more immigrants from countries like Norway. Trump is said to have made the comments in the Oval Office during a meeting about immigration with a bipartisan group of senators.
The White House has not denied that Trump used the vulgarity, but Trump and some Republicans have disputed public accounts of the meeting.
Trump defended himself Sunday night, declaring that “I’m not a racist.” He said comments attributed to him “weren’t made.”
The president’s defense appeared not to sway the sizable crowd of Haitians – waving their country’s flag – who gathered near the foot of a bridge leading to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach to jeer at Trump as the motorcade returned from the golf club.
The Haitians and their supporters shouted, “Our country is not a shithole,” and engaged in a shouting match with pro-Trump demonstrators who typically gather on the other side of the street.
The smaller pro-Trump contingent waved U.S. flags and campaign posters and yelled, “Trump is making America great again.” One man could be seen telling the Haitians to leave the country.
