WASHINGTON: Back in 2018, President Donald Trump disputed having used the epithet “shithole” to describe some countries whose citizens emigrated to the United States. Nowadays, he embraces it and pushes his anti-immigrant and xenophobic tirades even further. Case in point: during a rally in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday that was supposed to focus on his economic policy, the 79-year-old Republican openly ranted and reused the phrase that had sparked an outcry during his first term.

Trump made the remarks while discussing his permanent pause on migration from “third world countries” announced last month.

In 2018, the president denied using the term to deride Haiti and African nations, but changed his tune at a rally on Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON: Back in 2018, President Donald Trump disputed having used the epithet “shithole” to describe some countries whose citizens emigrated to the United States. Nowadays, he…