Keep Factually independent
Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.
Did Donald Trump deny using the word 'shithole' in reference to Haiti and African countries?
Executive Summary
Donald Trump publicly denied using the specific word “shithole” to describe Haiti and African countries after multiple reporters and lawmakers said he did; his response described his language as “tough” and asserted the reported phrasing “was not the language used.” Contemporaneous accounts from senators, journalists and multiple major news outlets recorded him using that word or a close phrasing, while fact‑check outlets and news organizations note his later denials were often non‑specific and did not directly repeat or fully concede the quoted term [1] [2] [3]. This analysis lays out the competing claims, the contemporaneous reporting, the nature of Trump’s denial, and how outlets judged the dispute.
1. What supporters claimed and what critics recorded — a clash in the room
Multiple witnesses and major news organizations reported that during a White House immigration meeting President Trump used the phrase “shithole countries” when referring to Haiti, El Salvador and several African nations. Senators and journalists present briefed reporters immediately afterward and their accounts formed the basis for initial reporting; outlets such as Reuters and other contemporaneous sources documented that phrasing as a direct quote attributed to the president [2]. The immediate, on‑the‑record recollections from people in the meeting constituted the core evidence for the claim that the specific vulgar term was used; this body of contemporaneous reporting generated widespread condemnation and framed subsequent fact‑checking.
2. The formal denial — words chosen, and how they were framed
President Trump issued a denial that stopped short of repeating the quoted vulgarity: he tweeted that “the language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used,” and later said he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country.” Various outlets reported that his response was an explicit rejection of the reported phrasing, though the denial employed hedging and did not read as a direct, verbatim rebuttal of the single quoted term [1] [4]. Fact‑check summaries note the denial exists but is ambiguous in scope — denying the reported language rather than categorically denying any offensive sentiment.
3. How fact‑checkers and newsrooms reconciled the two accounts
Fact‑checking organizations and mainstream newsrooms assessed the competing accounts by weighing contemporaneous witness reports against the president’s later statement. Outlets such as FactCheck.org and The Guardian described the president’s denial but emphasized the contemporaneous reporting from multiple credible witnesses, ultimately concluding that while Trump denied the specific word, the preponderance of independent, contemporaneous reporting indicates he likely used the vulgar phrase or equivalent wording [5] [3]. Those outlets framed the denial as existing but insufficient to overturn the testimony of several senators and journalists who were present.
4. Variations in reporting and the role of ambiguous denials
Different news organizations varied in how they presented the dispute: some headlined the denial, others emphasized the contemporaneous quotes. The Washington Post, for example, reported both the accounts of the remark and Trump’s subsequent denials, noting he described his language only as “tough,” while Reuters highlighted the backlash and cited witnesses who used the quoted term [6] [2]. This divergence reflects editorial choices about emphasis, not necessarily a factual split over the raw claims; editors had to decide whether to foreground the president’s denial or the immediate witness testimony.
5. What the record shows and what remains consequential
The public record contains two clear, documented facts: multiple witnesses and news organizations contemporaneously reported that Trump used the term “shithole” or a closely equivalent phrase in the Oval Office, and President Trump publicly denied that specific wording, characterizing his language as merely “tough.” Fact‑checkers concluded that the denial does not fully counter the contemporaneous reports, and thus the broader media record supports the view that he likely used the vulgar phrase [7] [3]. The practical consequence was political and diplomatic: the controversy spurred widespread condemnation, fact‑checking, and ongoing debate about presidential rhetoric and credibility.
6. Bottom line — a clear denial, but a larger preponderance of evidence
Yes, President Trump denied using the specific word; he explicitly stated the quoted language “was not the language used.” At the same time, multiple contemporaneous eyewitness accounts and major news reports documented that he did use the term or an equivalent, and reputable fact‑checkers judged the denial insufficient to overturn those reports [1] [2] [3]. Readers should treat the denial as an official claim while recognizing that the contemporaneous reporting constitutes the stronger evidentiary basis in the historical record.