Sedi on President Trump’s Classification of Shithole Countries

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington

U.S. President Donald Trump last week created a firestorm when he made disparaging remarks about small and developing nations and countries such as Haiti, El Salvador and others in Africa as ‘shithole countries. If anything, the inflammatory statement served to raise the ire of countries around the world, including those in CARICOM that have condemned the remarks.  The international backlash for that provocative statement has been far-reaching.  Today, Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington shared his view on the offensive comment.

Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Foreign Minister

“That statement or alleged statement made by the president was not necessarily surprising to me given other statements which he has been making which are not too dissimilar.  What I am concerned about really is the underlying suggestion that his position may be clouded by racism.  That I think is the more fundamental issue, you know.  The suggestion that people will not necessarily be treated equally, certainly by his administration for reasons of race, I think that is the more fundamental issue.  The president seems to have his own propensity to speak in language which I wouldn’t necessarily employ and which I have not been accustomed to hearing from presidents of the United States.  The language of the presidency of the United States, especially the ones that we have studied and really lauded are normally very good, excellent language.  Good, polite first-class language.  I don’t think that Mr. Trump falls into that mode.  But his language notwithstanding, I think the more troubling aspect of it is the fact that we may not be treated in the same manner in which other countries are treated and largely because of race.  That is the thing that I find most troubling.”