On defensive, Trump says 'I'm not a racist'

WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump insisted on Sunday that he was "not a racist", after his reported denunciation of immigration from "shithole" countries triggered a global firestorm of criticism.

Trump on Friday tweeted a convoluted denial about the comments, which were reported by The Washington Post and The New York Times and confirmed by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the meeting at which they were said to have been spoken.

"I'm not a racist. I am the least racist person you have ever interviewed, that I can tell you," Trump told reporters at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was having dinner with Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

The alleged expletive came during a Thursday meeting between Trump and legislators about immigration reform.

After lawmakers raised the issue of protections for immigrants from African nations, Haiti and El Salvador, the president reportedly demanded to know why the United States should accept immigrants from "shithole countries", rather than - for instance - wealthy and overwhelmingly white Norway.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the only Democrat at Thursday's meeting, said Trump had indeed said what he was reported to have said. Durbin said the remarks were "vile, hate-filled and clearly racial in their content". He said Trump used the vulgar term "more than once".

Trump also turned to the immigration issue on Twitter on Sunday, reiterating his opposition to the visa lottery.

"I, as President, want people coming into our Country who are going to help us become strong and great again, people coming in through a system based on MERIT. No more Lotteries! #AMERICA FIRST," he tweeted.

Trump said he was trying to clinch an immigration deal, but that his Democratic rivals were unhelpful.

"We're ready, willing and able to make a deal on DACA," Trump said, referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that protects immigrants brought to the US illegally as children.

"I don't think Democrats want to make a deal. The folks from DACA should know the Democrats are the ones that aren't going to make a deal."

Trump announced in September he was scrapping the program, but with a six-month lag - meaning those covered by DACA would be subject to deportation starting in March.

Democratic lawmakers "don't want security at the border", Trump said.

"You got people pouring in. They don't want to stop drugs. and they want to take money away from our military, which we cannot do."

Analysts and businesses say the economy could lose $215 billion in GDP if the 800,000 so-called "Dreamers" leave the labor pool, at a time when many firms are finding it hard to fill open positions.

A US judge this week ordered the federal government to reinstate DACA pending final judgment on the justification for overturning it.

That would allow Dreamers to applytheir status under the program, unless overturned by a higher court.

AFP-AP