CNN’s Dana Bash tussled with Border Czar Tom Homan Sunday over President Donald Trump’s xenophobic rhetoric on Somali immigrants.

During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump went on a tirade against Somali immigrants, saying, “I don’t want them in our country. I’ll be honest with you. Their country’s no good for a reason. Their country stinks.”

Trump also called out Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) by name, referring to the longtime U.S. citizen of Somali descent as “garbage.”

“We could go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Mr. Trump said. “She’s garbage. Her friends, garbage. These aren’t people who work. These aren’t people who say ‘let’s go, come on, let’s make this place great.’”

Trump’s comments came as federal immigration authorities began “enhanced operations” against Somali immigrants in Minneapolis-St. Paul, home to a diaspora of about 80,000 Somali immigrants.

Bash said to Homan, “The president said very clearly this week that he doesn’t want Somali immigrants in America. He called them garbage! Is that the real reason this operation is happening in the Somali community?”

“Well, I think President Trump’s referring to public safety threats as national security threats from Somalia and every other country,” Homan said in defense of Trump’s operation.

“Well, he didn’t say that,” Bash shot back. “He talked about the whole community.”

“Look…I’m not aware what the president was thinking when he said that, but I agree with President Trump,” Homan said. “From day one, he has said we are concentrating on public safety threats and national security threats. He was put in the Oval Office to run the biggest deportation operation in this country has ever seen. That’s exactly what we’re doing. That’s what American people voted for.”

Homan added, “President Trump’s doing the right thing: Make sure everybody that came here illegally came in through proper vetting, especially from countries that are related to terrorism or are somehow related to high numbers of overstays or high number of criminal aliens in this country. That’s what he’s doing. He’s protecting America. And I agree 100% what he’s doing.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

The post ‘He Called Them Garbage!’ CNN’s Dana Bash Tussles With Trump Border Czar Over Trump’s Rhetoric on Somalis first appeared on Mediaite.

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