Senator Cory Booker doesn’t believe Department of Homeland Securities Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen can’t remember whether Trump called Haiti and various African nations ‘s***hole countries’ during a private meeting on immigration.
Booker, along with other senators, questioned Nielsen about the President’s comments in front of Congress on Tuesday. When Nielsen claimed that she forgot or didn’t hear what Trump said, Booker exploded calling her response ‘unacceptable’.
The democratic New Jersey senator continued to rail against Nielsen on Wednesday telling CBS This Morning that he believes she ‘lied under oath’.
Senator Cory Booker (left) accused Department of Homeland Securities Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen (right) of lying under oath after he and several other senators questioned her about remarks President Donald Trump is accused of making
Nielsen testified that she didn’t remember or didn’t hear Trump say the ‘s****hole countries’ comment. Nielsen is pictured here being sworn in prior to testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on January 16, 2016
‘She was an American citizen under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee and she pretended like she didn’t remember, she couldn’t remember what the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief, her boss was saying,’ Booker said.
‘She didn’t remember Lindsey Graham, who challenged the president on his vile words yesterday. It was so offensive to me that she lied under oath.’
Booker said he thinks Nielsen may have lied to protect her job. He also said it’s impossible for her not remember what was said because the meeting was held in the Oval Office and everyone’s ‘senses are heightened’ when they step into the room.
‘When you’re in that room, it’s a sacred space in our country. You know what the President of the United States is saying, especially in heated exchanges,’ he said. ‘There’s just no way I buy that.’
He added: ‘I had to listen to her over and over again tell lies to my colleagues. I’m just not going to take it. What is the worst thing that allows bigotry and hate to proliferate is people who… stand by and do nothing when it’s said. Those of us who stand by and do nothing are complicit in that ignorance.’
Trump has been in the middle of a firestorm and even labeled ‘racist’ by the United Nations after he reportedly referred to Haiti and African nations as ‘s***hole countries’ after Democratic senator Dick Durbin presented him with a bipartisan immigration deal put together by six senators.
Trump reportedly made the comments, which some have labeled as ‘racist’, during a private meeting on immigration
Booker (left) said he was offended Nielsen (right) lied under oath
Durbin, and the other politicians, were trying to get Trump to back the deal.
The president, instead, responded by asking ‘why the US wants more people from Haiti and African countries’, CNN reported.
‘Why are we having all these people from s***hole countries come here?’ he allegedly continued. ‘Why do we need more Haitians? Take them out.’
Trump addressed the controversy in a vague tweet claiming he used ‘tough’ language in immigration meeting, but did not say ‘s****hole countries’.
‘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!’ he posted.