Republican Gov. Charlie Baker says President Donald Trump should apologize for vulgar language attributed to him during an Oval Office meeting.
Baker on Friday called "appalling and disgraceful" the comments Trump made while questioning why the U.S. would accept more immigrants from Haiti and Africa, rather than places like Norway.
Baker told reporters the president "owes an apology to all of the people who he broad-brushed with those statements, many of whom came here simply looking for a better life."
The governor noted that he has supported an extension of Temporary Protected Status for thousands of Haitians living in Massachusetts.
"Based on my own personal experience as a guy who's lived in Massachusetts for most of my adult life, I am enormously grateful for the culture and the humanity and frankly the enterprise and the love that a lot of those folks in those communities have shown here in Massachusetts," he said.
Baker said the Haitian community has been "a tremendous asset" to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
"The Haitian community has been a wonderful community in a very positive way in Massachusetts and we are thrilled and honored to have them here," he said.
Baker also spoke of how some of the people who helped care for his mother when she was sick were Haitian immigrants. He said they were "kind and generous and loving and thoughtful as my mom and dad went through a terrible time."
Democratic state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry, whose parents emigrated from Haiti, called Trump's remarks "ignorant and repulsive."
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Trump disputes accounts of the language he used during Thursday's meeting with U.S. senators, but hasn't denied the most controversial word attributed to him.
