Philip Mudd, former deputy director of the CIA Counterterrorist Center, dropped a slew of slurs in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon Friday to make a point about racism.
In a lengthy statement criticizing President Trump’s reported reference to “shithole countries,” Mudd stated: “I’ve seen these conversations that this is economic, so let’s be clear, a white honky from Norway can come here but a black dude from Haiti can’t. What does that tell you in an America that in one generation called you a ‘n—er,’” he asked Lemon.
“What does that tell you Don. I can tell you what it tells a honky like me. We’re no different than we were a generation ago and we’re learning the same lessons that we learned when we called a Chinese man a slant-eye, when we called a man from Guatemala a spic and wetback and we called a black man a n—er.”
Mudd was arguing that people from so-called “shithole” countries have historically provided the backbone of the United States economy. He said he proudly stood with them.
Lemon did not react to the torrent of slurs. A CNN spokesperson declined to comment.
Lemon himself famously held up a sign with the N-word on CNN in January 2015 to make a point about the emotions raised by it and the Confederate flag.
In a tweet (of course) Trump denied calling Haiti and some African nations “shithole countries” during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration, though he did concede to using “tough” language.
The language used by me at the DACA meeting was tough, but this was not the language used. What was really tough was the outlandish proposal made – a big setback for DACA!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
He earned a swift rebuke from Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), who was present in the room when Trump made his remarks.
“In the course of his comments [Trump] said things which were hate-filled, vile and racist,” said Durbin in a press statement Friday. “I cannot believe that in the history of the White House and in that Oval Office, any president has spoken the words that I personally heard our president speak yesterday.”
“You’ve seen the comments in the press. I’ve not read one of them that’s inaccurate,” he added.