Durbin spokesman: GOP senator has no credibility

PALM BEACH, Fla. — A spokesman for Sen. Dick Durbin is questioning the credibility of a Republican senator who says President Donald Trump did not refer to African countries using a vulgarity during a closed-door meeting.

“Credibility is something that’s built by being consistently honest over time. Senator Durbin has it. Senator Perdue does not. Ask anyone who’s dealt with both,” Ben Marter tweeted Sunday, shortly after Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue went on ABC’s “This Week” to call reports that Trump used vile language in the meeting a “gross misrepresentation.” Perdue says Durbin and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham were mistaken in indicating Trump had.

Previously, Perdue and Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said in a statement that they “do not recall the President saying those comments specifically.” Cotton said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he “didn’t hear” the vulgar word.

“I am telling you that he did not use that word. And I’m telling you it’s a gross misrepresentation,” Perdue said.

World leaders have denounced Trump’s comments as racist.

President Donald Trump says a program to protect immigrants brought into the U.S. illegally as children is “probably dead.”

The Republican president tweeted that “Democrats don’t really want it,” referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Obama-era program shields these individuals, commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” from deportation. Trump said last year that he’s killing the program unless Congress sends him legislation by March to keep it.

Trump last week rejected an immigration deal drafted by a bipartisan group of senators.

The deal included a pathway to citizenship for “Dreamers” and $1.6 billion for border security, including Trump’s promised border wall.

Trump tweeted Sunday: “DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it, they just want to talk and take desperately needed money away from our Military.”