Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga., co-sponsors of a bill to cut legal immigration in half, could not remember (!) hearing President Donald Trump refer to African countries as “s---holes.” (Would not such language have stuck in their memories, or was the phrase so unexceptional as not to warrant notice?)
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., wouldn’t publicly confirm the remarks, although he shared them with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan called the remarks “unfortunate” — as if they were a hangnail.
Not every Republican behaved so shabbily. Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, put out a written statement.