Politico Pro
By Ted Hesson
April 26, 2018
House Democrats today excoriated Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen over her claim not to remember a racial slur that President Donald Trump used to describe Haiti, El Salvador and African nations in a meeting that she attended.
Multiple attendees reported that Trump referred to the nations as “shithole countries” in a January meeting with a bipartisan group of senators, and that he said the U.S. should accept more immigrants from countries like Norway.
Days after the meeting, Nielsen told a Senate committee that she did not recall hearing that specific phrase. She also said she did not know whether Norway was predominately Caucasian.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, rehashed Nielsen’s testimony in his opening remarks.
“If this is an indication of how you, as secretary, interact with the White House on homeland security policy matters, there may be cause for concern,” he said.
The secretary engaged in a sharp exchange Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.), who mentioned her refusal to acknowledge Norway’s majority white population.
“I wasn’t going to, the way the question was asked, testify under oath to something that I can’t guarantee was right,” Nielsen said. “I don’t know why it would be a requirement of the secretary of homeland security to know the racial makeup of every country.”
At another point in the hearing, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) asked Nielsen how many African-American staff members were in her immediate circle, adding that she didn’t see any in the room.
“I don’t have the exact number in front of me,” Nielsen replied. “We do have diversity programs. We take that very seriously.”
When pressed by Jackson Lee, Nielsen said she did not employ any African-Americans in her personal front office.
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