US President Donald Trump has stressed that he is "not racist," following comments he quoted as describing countries where immigrants come from as "scum".
I'm the least racist I've ever met, "Trump told reporters at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he was having dinner with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The Washington Post reported that Trump made a statement about the "shabby countries" during a meeting with a number of senators to discuss a bill on immigration.
"Why are all these people coming from the scum of countries coming to this country?" Trump asked during the discussions, referring to African countries, Haiti and El Salvador.
The White House did not deny or object to the remarks. "Some political figures in Washington choose to defend foreign countries, but President Trump will always work for the benefit of the American people," he said.
On the other hand, Trump in Florida looked positive about the crisis with North Korea. "We'll see what happens with North Korea, we have wonderful talks going on now, you know the Olympics, many things can happen," he said.