And, in today’s episode of “America’s Cringeworthiest Hearings” …
It started when Sen. Patrick Leahy asked DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen about Donald Trump’s reported “shithole countries” remark:
Leahy asks Nielsen under oath whether Trump said vulgar words.
"I did not hear that word used"
L: Did he use anything similar?
N: The conversation was very impassioned, I don't dispute the president was using strong language, others using strong language.— Elise Foley (@elisefoley) January 16, 2018
SENATOR LEAHY: Did Trump say shitholes or "a substantially similar word" to describe certain countries?
DHS SECRETARY NIELSEN (under oath): "I did not hear that word used, no sir."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 16, 2018
LEAHY: Did Trump say "anything similar" to shithole to describe some countries?
NIELSEN: "The conversation was very impassioned. I don't dispute that the president was using tough language. Others in the room were also using tough language."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 16, 2018
"I did not hear that word used," said @SecNielsen, of expletive allegedly spoken by Pres Trump in DACA meeting last week. Questioned under oath by @SenatorLeahy, Nielsen said "the conversation was very impassioned" and @POTUS "used tough language as did others." pic.twitter.com/ldMVdcLgiC
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) January 16, 2018
.@SecNielsen on @POTUS's reported vulgar remark on migration: "The conversation was very impassioned. I don't dispute that the president was using very tough language." pic.twitter.com/M8L5xewpj7
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 16, 2018
Leahy must not have anything more pressing going on.
Seems pretty clear he said it, but also possible not everyone was paying close enough attention to catch it, and I'm not sure what asking everyone who didn't say it accomplishes, unless that person *defended* the comment. https://t.co/w4RQlzPWO7
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) January 16, 2018
I see that Patrick Leahy is being as useless as he's ever been his entire career.
— RBe (@RBPundit) January 16, 2018
Well, yes. That goes without saying. Unfortunately, Nielsen didn’t really go the best route to shut him down:
DHS Sec. Nielsen on Trump: "He was using Norway as an example of [people who] work very hard." https://t.co/VtXVcQNESB
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) January 16, 2018
DHS Sec. Nielsen says Pres. Trump's Norway remark was referring to Norwegian prime minister "telling him the people of Norway work very hard. What he was referencing is, from a merit-based perspective, we'd like to have those with skills" who can contribute to U.S. pic.twitter.com/cN8PJtvjkQ
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 16, 2018
Oof.
the first thing everyone thinks when someone mentions Norway is “wow that’s a country of hard-workers”
— Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) January 16, 2018
As opposed to… https://t.co/X1cfh2r4nf
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 16, 2018
Norwegians are hard workers, unlike people from s-holes, who are lazy.
Not helping, secretary.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 16, 2018
Also:
Sen. Leahy on Trump's immigration preferences: "Norway is a predominantly white country, isn't it?"
DHS Sec. Nielsen: "I actually don't know that, sir."— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) January 16, 2018
Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen says Trump’s call for people from Norway not about race but merit. “The people from Norway work very hard.”
Asked if Norway is predominantly white:
“I actually do not know that sir but I imagine that’s the case."
— Paul McLeod (@pdmcleod) January 16, 2018
.@SenatorLeahy: "Norway is a predominately white country, isn't it?"
DHS Sec. Nielsen: "I actually do not know that sir, but I imagine that is the case." pic.twitter.com/DT4di3LEWi
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) January 16, 2018
Oh man.
So the DHS Secretary just said shes not sure Norway is a predominately white country. She thinks so but isn't sure.
Announcer: It is.
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) January 16, 2018
You cannot get any whiter. Melanin is scarcer than gold. They're literally none more white. https://t.co/kOOsqitg0D
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 16, 2018
This is going great. https://t.co/ey8bWLG0Eq
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 16, 2018
Just swimmingly.
I'm not sure what's more frightening….
That politics and government requires people to act so stupid.
Or
That people in politics and government are really so stupid.
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) January 16, 2018
Let’s call it a draw.
