White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied that President Trump is a racist after being cornered by reporters near the White House on Tuesday morning.
If Trump was a racist, Sanders said, “why did NBC give him a show for a decade on TV? Why did Chuck Schumer and all of his colleagues come and beg Donald Trump for money?”
Sanders was specifically responding to a question from a reporter off-camera about comments from Schumer suggesting Trump could prove he wasn’t a racist by passing a DACA deal.
“[Chuck Schumer] said last night, ‘Mr. President, show you’re not a racist, cut a deal on DACA,’” said the reporter.
“If they are who they want to try and portray him as, why do they want to be with him for years and years in various activities, whether it was as events and fundraisers and other things?” asked Sanders. “I think it’s just an outrageous and ludicrous excuse.”
After the president told a bipartisan group of senators that he didn’t want an immigration deal to include Haiti and immigrants from other “shithole countries,” many have attacked Trump’s comment as being explicitly racist. While there has been some dispute over Trump’s exact words, the president did concede in a tweet for using “tough” language on the issue.
Sanders is expected to hold a formal press briefing later Tuesday afternoon, where she will likely be forced to address the matter at length.
Reps for NBC were not immediately available for comment.