Trump spent his MLK day off doing what he’s done for nearly a third of his presidency: playing golf. Only this time, he probably didn’t have quite as relaxing an experience as he was hoping for.
Trump was greeted roadside near Mar-a-Lago by a cadre of angry demonstrators wielding signs responding to his recent comment calling Haiti and countries in Africa a “shithole.”
According to the White House press pool, Trump was greeted first by a number of Haitian demonstrators roadside defending their homeland.
WH pool reports Trump was greeted by Haitian demonstrators on roadside near Mar-a-Lago. 1 placard read: "Haiti is not a shithole."
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 15, 2018
A labor report flagged by CNBC reveals that the majority of the staff at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago hail from Haiti, one of the more prominent “shithole countries” by Trump’s account.
According to the report by The New Yorker, the Palm Beach resort’s 64 guest workers come mostly from two places: Romania and Haiti.
More and more diverse demonstrators joined the Haitians at Mar-a-Lago by the time Trump had wrapped up his golf game, according to the pool.
When Trump departing MaL later, new demonstrators:
2 large signs read: "Looser" and "Liar."
A woman held a sign that said "I am DACA."— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 15, 2018
Trump has been in a tense war of words and ideals with Democrats over the fate of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program enacted under the Obama administration. A Federal judge recently issued an injunction preventing the Trump Administration from suspending the program. Nevertheless, the fate of the program and its beneficiaries, called “Dreamers,” are up in the air.
As always, there were a few staunch members of the Trump base coming out in support of the President. Their platform was a little less sophisticated.
Supporters held signs such as "Fake News."
(via WH pool reporter)
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 15, 2018
No doubt Trump is going to continue to face this kind of vocal opposition as he moves around the country and around the world. His “shithole” comment drew immediate and forceful condemnation from lawmakers and leaders at home and around the world. In one unprecedented move, all of the countries in Africa issued a statement at the UN condemning Trump’s statement.
The protesters at Mar-a-Lago are just the beginning. Looks like Trump’s golf game may suffer from all the insults and distractions.