January 15, 2018 | by Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy

Why focusing on 'shithole' totally misses the point

The last three days have been consumed by this debate: Did President Donald Trump refer to several foreign countries as "shitholes" or not? Trump insists he didn't use that word. Republican Sens. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Perdue of Georgia, who were in the meeting Thursday where the controversy arose, first said they didn't recall Trump using the word but then shifted to straight denials.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, said that Trump used the term "shithole." Sen. Lindsey Graham -- via Sen. Tim Scott -- has confirmed the reporting by The Washington Post, as has Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a Republican who said he heard it directly from attendees of the meeting although he was not there in person. The latest twist came Sunday night when the Post's Josh Dawsey, who broke the original story, tweeted this:

"White House official told me tonight there is debate internally on whether Trump said 'shithole' or 'shithouse.' Perdue and Cotton seem to have heard latter, this person said, and are using to deny."

What this big game of telephone misses is that it doesn't really matter whether Trump said "shithole" or "shithouse" or "craphole" or any of the various other derogatory names in that vein. The point, after all, is this: The President of the United States, in a meeting with a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen, derided countries primarily populated by black and brown people and lauded a country (Norway) that is almost entirely white.

Think about it this way: Let's say Trump had the same meeting with the same group of politicians. Rather than say "shithole" or "shithouse," he referred to African or El Salvadoran immigrants coming into the United States as hailing from "undesirable countries." Would the fact that he didn't use a curse word change anything? Of course it wouldn't.

That's what's important. The sentiment. Not the word choice. And, there is no dispute -- not from Trump, his White House, his defenders or his detractors -- over the sentiment Trump was trying to get across in the immigration meeting last Thursday.

Read my full take here.

--Chris

SABA'S GOOD READS

Mud, darkness and destruction turned Montecito into death trap: A must read LA Times report about the mudslides in SoCal.

The Record columnist Christopher Maag wrote about how on Gov. Chris Christie's last day, 'a not-so-fond farewell'.

This quirky WaPo story about what former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe left behind for newly inaugurated Gov. Ralph Northam.

Exciting entertainment news: There's a new Princess Margaret and you probably won't be disappointed.

Last but not least: this 11-year-old aspiring journalist gives me hope.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

Dolores O'Riordan of The Cranberries died at age 46 on Monday. Listen to one of the band's best/most popular songs: "Zombie."

MLK DAY ACROSS THE USA

Illustration by CNN's Joyce Tseng

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated on the third Monday in January, although King was actually born on the 15th of January, 1929, 89 years ago. The federal holiday is also a national day of service. CNN's Meg Wagner and Amanda Wills reported live updates of MLK Day celebrations across the country. Here are some of the day's notable quotes:

Here's what President Trump had to say: "Dr. King's dream is our dream. It is the American dream," he said in a video message, which comes just days after the President expressed frustration behind closed doors with people coming to the United States from "shithole countries." He has denied the comments and insisted, "I am not a racist."
Meanwhile, Martin Luther King Jr.'s son Martin Luther King III said: "These are evil days when the President of the United States doesn't seem to understand that Africa is a continent, not a state and he refers to countries such as Nigeria and Haiti and El Salvador as, y'all know that word. I don't talk like that. Y'all know what he said."
Speaking at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast in Washington, the Rev. Al Sharpton said he has no doubt Trump made the "shithole countries" comment.
Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, laid a wreath at the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in Washington on Sunday. They tweeted photos.
Former President Barack Obama tweeted: "Dr. King was 26 when the Montgomery bus boycott began. He started small, rallying others who believed their efforts mattered, pressing on through challenges and doubts to change our world for the better. A permanent inspiration for the rest of us to keep pushing towards justice."

YOUR MLK DAY

ATTENTION POINT READERS: Did you do service this year on MLK Day? Share with us what you did and why. We'll feature our favorite responses! Email: Saba.Hamedy@cnn.com and Chris.Cillizza@cnn.com.

🚨FLAKE ON THE FLOOR🚨

CNN's Aileen Graef and Liz Turrell reported Sunday:

Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona is expected to deliver a floor speech on Wednesday in which he will compare President Donald Trump's attacks on the news media to the rhetoric of late Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. According to an excerpt of the speech, Flake will criticize the President for calling the news media the "enemy of the people," calling it "an assault as unprecedented as it is unwarranted." Reminder: Flake -- who is very vocal about his anti-Trump sentiments -- is retiring at the end of this year. But he has said he doesn't have any formal plans to run for President after his time on Capitol Hill. Read more here.

#2020 WATCH: HARRIS, MLK MARCH & 'TIME'S UP' SOLIDARITY

Actress Natalie Portman shared an Instagram story and video of Sen. Kamala Harris chanting "Time's Up" on Monday. Portman was among the people who walked alongside Harris in the 33rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Kingdom Day Parade in Los Angeles, in which Harris served as a Grand Marshal. Portman walked as a leader in the Time's Up movement, which was launched earlier this year by a group of more than 1,000 women in entertainment to help combat sexual harassment across industries. "Humbled to march with @kamalaharris @timesupnow in the spirit of #mlk for justice and equality #timesup," Portman wrote on the Instagram post.

CHRISTIE LEAVES OFFICE

CNN's Ryan Stryuk writes:

Farewell, Chris Christie. The soon-to-be-former-governor has experienced one of the most remarkable collapses in the history of public opinion polling. It seems like a lifetime ago, but Christie once stood at a stellar 72% after Hurricane Sandy as an up-and-coming star of the GOP after Obama's re-election. Now, one failed presidential bid and titanic scandal later, his approval stands at just 17%, according to polling averages from Monmouth University's Patrick Murray. That colossal 55 percentage point swing is one for the history books.

YOUR DAILY GIF

H/T CNN's Brenna Williams

Since we won't be able to GIF outgoing Gov. Christie anymore, Brenna picked one of the best moments (above) to send him off. We hope you enjoyed your day! As always, remind everyone you know to subscribe to The Point.

We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media, and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba.

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