outcome in a split decision the d.c. circuit court of appeals just ruled that the ban should stay in place while the case goes back to lower court. the ruling may make it harder for the administration to put in new restrictions or to repeal protections already in place. >> brianna, thank you very much. cnn film "trophy" airs sunday night 9:00 p.m. eastern. erin burnett out front starts right now. >> out front next. trump denial that doesn't add up. the president trying to spin his racist comments. is anyone buying it? plus, deafening silence. where is the republican leadership on trump's vile comments? breaking news this hour, wall street journal alleging that the trump administration paid a porn star to stop her from exposing a sexual encounter between her and trump. something that the administration is denying tonight. let's go "out front."

good evening. "out front" tonight, the front of hypocrisy. a host of countries where black and hispanic people live are "s" hole countries. it has frankly rocked his presidency. here he is. >> mr. president, did you refer to african nations, did you use the word "s hichlt thole"? >> are you a racist? >> the president is trying to pretend there's nothing to see here. i'm going to get to that in a second. republican senator lindsey graham in the room told fellow republican senator tim scott that the reports were basically accurate and that he confronted the president about them say, quote, i said my peace directly to him, the president,

yesterday. the president and all those attending the meeting know what i said and how i feel. here is senator dick durbin also at the meet iing. >> we've seen the comments in the presses press. i've not read one of them that's inaccurate. the president started tweeting this morning, denying he used those words. it is not true. he said these hate-filled things and he said them repeatedly. >> yes. senator durbin said he did get on twitter 15 hours after the news first broke and unrelated things. 15 hours later he gets back on to muddy the water, tweeting in part, quote, the language used by me at the daca meeting was tough, but this was not the language he used. another tweet where he tried to say that he didn't really say all that about haiti specifically. the operative line in this tweet, quote, made up by dems. i have a wonderful relationship with haitinachlt s.

probably should record future meetings. unfortunately, no trust. a democrat and republican in the room have both confirmed his statements and republican senator jeff flake shot down the president's assertion in the tweet that his language was tough, but no more by tweeting, quote, the words used by the president as related to me directly following the meeting by those in attendance were not tough. they were abhorrent and repulsive. notice he says those in attendance, plural. telling jake tapper, people coming from africa as s-hole countries. not particularly from haiti. okay. when this is the best offense you can mount you have a problem. no matter how the story is spun, nothing changes the fact that trump's comments were racist. his own spokesperson didn't deny anything reported, including the fact that s-hole countries include haiti and el salvador.

frankly, we don't need to rely on dick durbin, lindsey graham or anybody else. we know that he uses hateful, zmargeing and racist language. he does it so often and so consistently, it is now impossible to deny that there isn't a problem. >> when mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. they're bringing drugs. they're bringing crime. they're rapists and some, i assume, are good people. i think islam hates us. >> look at my african-american over here. look at him. are you the greatest? >> we're building a wall. he's a mexican. >> if you are saying he can't do his job because of his race, is that not the definition of racism? >> no, i don't think so at all. >> you had some very bad people in that group but you also had people that were very fine people. on both sides. >> negotiating with japan, with

china. they say we want deal. you were here long before any of us were here. although they say we have a representative in congress who was here a long time ago they call her pocahontas. >> pocahontas. >> that's an insult to pocahontas. >> a total and complete shutdown of muslims entering the united states. people have birth certificates. he doesn't have a birth certificate. he may have one but there's something on that birth -- maybe religion, maybe it says he's a muslim. >> congressional black caucus and the congress youngal -- >> i would. do you want to set up the meeting? >> no, no, no. >> are they friends of yours? >> i'm a reporter. >> set up a meeting. maybe we say politically correct or not politically correct, they don't look like indians to me and they don't look indians to indians. >> mar-a-lago in florida where

the president landed moments ago. what is the president's thinking on this controversy right now? >> reporter: erin, good evening. the president is beginning a three-day weekend here. no question he will do as he usually does, talk to friends, talk to old friends and advisers throughout the weekend. so far we were told that he was talking to friends to see how this was playing. he was not apologizing at all. it wasn't until about 12 hours after it was first reported, a little more than that, he said he did not say that language, that word specific clichlt it was certainly not a full-out denial. the white house has still not denied that he said those word, at least officially. erin, we do know that the president believes it's playing just fine with his base. never mind ought criticism from speaker paul ryan, who called it very disappointing. other rank and file republicans in the house and senate also said it was very disappointing. the reason that paul ryan, the speaker, said it's

disappointing, erin, mid term election season already bruising for republicans. never mind the base. yes, they will be with president trump. independent voters and others who simply are turned off by this kind of language. we end, again, a very tumultuous week at the white house. republicans and democrats appeared to reach a deal on d.r.e.a.m.ers. that deal, in peril tonight because of the president's language in the oval office. when he returns to washington on monday, they have to get back to work on this deal. we'll see if it can be repaired. that is the biggest consequence of it all. >> jeff zeleny, thank you very much. the president and ceo of the naacp. you heard jeff zeleny, the president having those conversations, not describing it at all. another source telling cnn that the president loves the

controversy over the s-hole remark. the president and white house believes these comments are going to play just fine with the trump base. what's your reaction? >> it's not enough to win elections. for african-americans, it is unfortunate to hear this type of language. it is the language of the '50s and '60s. it is the language of the george wallace but also the language that will energize the base for these mid term lks elections. unfortunately much of what he is doing is also serving as a distraction to some of the administrative policies he's advancing. the nominees to the federal court. we have to be careful not to get so caught up in his words. we know he's a racist. he demonstrated that, just like the package you just showed previously. now the real question is, how do we stop some of the bad policy that's coming down the and how do we energize our base to get out the vote this cycle? >> you just said we know he's a

racist. i want to give you a chance to be very clear on this. as you know, the president said so many times he's the least racist person. he ran away today when they asked him the question twice, if he's a racist. he said he is the least racist person. i want to play a clip of an interview he did with our don lemon. >> are you racist? >> i am the least racist person that you have ever met. i am the least racist person. >> are you bigoted in any way? >> i don't think so. no. >> islamaphobe? >> no, not at all. >> the least racist person you've ever met, what's your reaction when you hear that? >> earlier this week we've seen donald trump sit in a meeting with legislators, talking about daca. in that meeting, he changed positions five times i don't think he knows his statement from minute to minute. he's a racist in his actions and

his words. the real question we have as american citizens, what are we going to do about it? how will we make sure that we minimize the impact of his policy decisions? how will we ensure that his beliefs are not implemented in public policy. >> part of the issue, though, is that there are people out there who are not saying what you're saying. some of them -- let me just play one of them for you. martin luther king jr.'s nephew was at the white house for the event honoring mlk. he met with the president. here is what he told our jim acosta right afterwards. >> i don't think that president trump is a racist in the traditional sense as we know in this country. i think president trump is racially ignorant or racially uninformed. but i don't think that he's a racist in the traditional sense. >> is this part of the problem, comments like that, which come off as excusing or explaining

what he's saying? >> well, you know, every citi n citizen -- we're all entitled to our opinions. i don't understand what it means, not racist in the traditional sense. it's a problem no matter what. the real fact here is we are facing a mid term election, african-americans will be energized to make a difference. but it's not about donald trump at this juncture. we know who he is. it's all about the individuals who are silenced around this issue, who refuse to say what he's doing is wrong and stand up against him. >> so let me talk about a few of those people. i know you just heard -- we've shown multiple people in the meeting by name, confirming what the president said. two other republicans were also there, senator tom cotton and senator david purdue. they're punting. they, in fact, issue a statement and it says, in part, we do not recall the president saying

these comments specifically. we do not recall. that seems absurd on its face, okay? my point to you is why are they silent? why are they seemingly scared of the president? >> many in the republican party are using this to advance a policy that is much more conservative. and president trump is the perfect distraction in terms of the policy positions that they are supporting. i'm not surprised they're saying this. the real issue is that all the people's names who will be on the ballot in november, what's going to happen to them? it's our job to make sure african-americans turn out and vote and display their opinion about what's taking place in this country. >> derrick johnson, appreciate your time. thank you. >> thank you. >> derrick johnson, president

and ceo of the naacp. mitch mcconnell, where are you? plus we know who president trump doesn't want in the united states. so who should be allowed into this country? at the heart of this is a really crucial policy question. breaking news. wall street journal reporting on an alleged payment to a porn star by president trump's lawyer. was it intended to keep her quiet about an alleged sexual encounter with the president? the white house and the porn star denying the report. touch is how we communicate with those we love, but when your psoriasis is bad, does it ever get in the way? embrace the chance of 100% clear skin with taltz. taltz is proven to help people with moderate to severe psoriasis achieve completely clear skin. with taltz, up to 90% of patients had a significant improvement of their psoriasis plaques.

in fact, 4 out of 10 even achieved completely clear skin. don't use if you're allergic to taltz. before starting, you should be checked for tuberculosis. taltz may increase risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or have symptoms, or if you've received a vaccine or plan to. inflammatory bowel disease can happen with taltz, including worsening of symptoms. serious allergic reactions can occur. ready for a chance at 100% clear skin? ask your doctor about taltz today. and go to taltz.com to learn how to pay as little as $5 a month.

this is dave, his dog cooper, we sell socks. why socks? we found out that socks are the number one most requested clothing item at homeless shelters. so for every pair we sell, we donate a pair to someone in need. but first we had to fix this. socks shouldn't fall down. fixed. lack of arch support? fixed. socks shouldn't have an annoying seam. fixed. the result? socks so comfortable we've been able to sell and donate over two point five million pairs. get an additional 20% off your first order at bombas.com. but when we brought our daughter home, that was it. now i have nicoderm cq. the nicoderm cq patch with unique extended release technology helps prevent your urge to smoke all day. it's the best thing that ever happened to me. every great why needs a great how. with advil's fast relief, you'll ask, "what pulled muscle?" "what headache?" nothing works faster to make pain a distant memory.

advil liqui-gels and advil liqui-gels minis. what pain?

lk leadership silence. we learned the president said the united states should question why people should be allowed to come from, quote, s-hole countries. yet with every passing hour, republicans have remained silent nochlt outrage, no condemnation. the man third in line to be president, we got a lukewarm response. house speaker paul ryan. >> i read those comments last night. first thing that came to my mind was very unfortunate, unhelpful. >> unfortunate, unhelpful. we're beyond that. here is the thing. at least he said that. it's a whole lot more than senator mitch mcconnell, who has

not said a single word or the second most powerful republican in the house, kevin mccarthy, who was actually at the meeting. silence. april ryan, white house correspondent, pastor mark burns, and kierstin powers, usa today journalist. unfortunate and unhelpful. that's the only response we've gotten from the republican leadership. >> it's underwhelming. seems like the kind of thing you would be much more outraged about. it was clearly -- look, i think there are times when people may cry racism, as republicans like to say, over things that aren't necessarily racist. this is not one of those times. you talk about these countries which were african countries, haiti, el salvador and african countries generally and contrasted that by wanting to

have people coming from norway, which is obviously overwhelmingly white. >> he reportedly said why can't we have more people from norway? >> right. you look at the entire context, it's hard to see it any other way. what's the difference between those two countries? black and brown people, white people. >> april, why are they silent? we're at a point here, an opportunity for them to take a stand. and yet silence. >> silent because it's all about the numbers. it's a numbers game in 2018. this does not help the party. they're going to try to lessen the blow by slapping the hand. at least ryan, not mcconnell. slapping the hand but not too far. >> mcconnell isn't even doing that. >> at issue is -- right. right. as i said, ryan. you know, at issue we've heard from some. there are some republicans who are stepping out.

senator lankford and tim scott, writing op-eds. these two -- they're a very interesting pair. they have these sunday conversations, trying to heal issues of the racial divide. with mixed communities coming together in someone's home. the big question for these sunday conversations for this pair, the senatorial pair is would you have someone from another race in your home? what they do is practice this sunday conversations issue. they have been coming out. but the leadership -- i mean, tim scott is a leader. he was one of the core four when it came to tax reform. but we need the leadership to say something. if donald trump, no matter if he's -- as the naacp says, he's racist or what have you, he is the president of all america. he says he's the president of all america, not his base, not trump land, not white america, not rural america, not just the forgotten man, but all america,

black, brown, jew, protestant and catholic. what will be done to leverage like the naacp president said, what will be done to leverage that all the leaders, not just the president, but those on capitol hill make sure they understand that the black and brown community are to be looked at, to be helped? the black and brown community still have the highest numbers of negatives in almost every category in this nation. >> and, pastor burns, it is clear not only is there no apology coming but the president, as is his usual way, is trying to mud the water and fight back. >> you know, first of all, i think we should understand who all is in the room. the president has already said he did not say it. let me just be clear. i don't use the language, nor would i be pushing anyone, supporting anyone that would speak derogatory of a country. i want to know which african

country he supposedly called an s-hole. the thing is, we weren't in the room. we're only using the information based off the people in the room. >> democrat, republican in the room. >> there were two republicans in the room who -- >> white house hasn't denied it. >> two republicans in the room clearly stated they don't recall at all the president saying that. >> oh, come on. >> so you have to admit, that's pretty pathetic. either you recall or you don't recall that happening. >> they're denying that the president said it. they mean to say they clearly are denying that the president said that. >> no, they're not. then they should come out and deny it. the only reason they're not denying it, they would be liars and they're not willing to go that far, pastor. >> they clearly stated, i'm sure if the president would have said s-hole -- we're focusing on the fact that he allegedly said s-hole about some countries. in my mind -- >> erin, can i add -- let me finish, april. in my mind's view he's talking

about if he said s-hole, which i can't say he did or didn't, but others in the room -- and i have it on high authority that he did not. if he said s-hole he's talking about countries that -- >> why wouldn't the white house deny it if -- >> let me finish my point. i can't get to the next -- let me finish my point. if he said s-hole he was talking about countries that are clearly those governments, clearly are not taking care of their own people. there are people who are suffering in haiti. >> no, no, no, no, no. >> governments that are corrupt in those areas. yet they want to come over here and we want a policy that's going to allow immigrants to come here that actually offer something to america. >> april, please respond. >> erin? erin? okay. first of all, i have two questions. one, as a pastor, the least of these, for that to even be in the air as a pastor, do you find offense to that? two, when you talk about, yes,

haiti is the poorest western nation -- western hemisphere nation. at the same time what about some of these african countries? all of the continent of africa is not devastated. let's look at sub sa hair an africa. you can't say all the countries on the continent of africa are derelict. >> i agree. >> or don't have any kind of democracy. your statement is wrong there. >> i didn't say all of africa. i said which countries he called that. i know nigeria, one of my favorite countries. there are some did he say late people there. they are not did he say late. as a pastor, let me ask you a question. the bible says -- you're talking my lane now. the bible clearly says, in first timothy, chapter 5, verse eight -- >> i grew up in church. let's be clear. >> praise god. first timothy, happy you grew up in church. the bible says in first timothy chapter 5, verse 1 through 8 a man who does not take care of his own home, his own home,

their own people, is worse than an infidel. we have somehow forgotten that in america -- >> i got something better. [ screaming over one another ] >> everybody is talking over each other at the same time. i can't hear. >> kiersten? >> i'm trying to remember what i was going to say. you were just talking about the government. what you were quoting was about the government. we're talking about the people coming over. you're basically saying if you come from an s-hole country that you're an s-hole person. that's not correct. this country is filled with people who came from terrible countries, terrible governments and they fled here and they came here. that's the exact kind of people i think a pastor would be saying we want them to come to the country and they've been major contributors to this country. >> as a pastor, my job is to shepherd, yes. feed the homeless, yes. feed the poor, yes.

help them raise themselves up. >> but don't welcome them into your home. >> the bible does not quantify -- >> the whole entire world. it is our job to empower those leader. >> pastor burns? >> to raise their own people up. you said that president trump has clearly stated -- >> pastor burns? >> let me finish, though. president trump clearly ran on a make america great again principles, there are black people in america that are suffer iing. there are minorities in america that have a low-interest rate home. we should be focusing on the unemployment rate in african-american communities that at an all-time high. >> i think this interaction is important in light of what derrick johnson just said, saying he is a racist. you asked him these questions after the mlk speech. here is your exchange. well here is the question. >> mr. president, will you make an apology for the statement yesterday? >> mr. president, did you refer to african nations as --

>> mr. president, are you racist? will you respond to these serious questions about your statement? >> he did not respond. he loves to respond. today, no. >> yes, he does. yeah. the silence was deafening. he has a chance to say something, to come out and smack me down, say how dare you or something. he chose not to. his silence was deafening. and, once again, it's in the air. and maybe like gloria borger has been reporting, he likes this. what does it do for the african nations, for the descendents of africa, who are here? what does it do for zploemsy? what does it do? i'm going to go back to pastor burns really quick. the bible also says love thy neighbor as thyself. it does not quantify or qualify my next door neighbor. >> that's true.

>> he is the moral leader. he sets the tone. and if a president of the united states just disregards that serious question -- and it was very hard for me to ask that question of a u.s. president today, when he was doing this proclamation. i had to ask and i stand by. you have to remember, he sets the tone. i hear what you're saying about taking care of home. but it's also love thy neighbor as thyself. >> absolutely. the thing is, the ongoing, ongoing support of countries like haiti from america is a clear indication that the united states government and president trump desire to help thou neighbor. >> he's trying to send them back. >> help thou neighbor. >> i don't know how sending them back is helping them. >> president trump is trying to teach you how to fish. it is not the responsibility of the american government. i would understand you if we would leave those people in the desert to die.

no. we are giving aid. we are giving support. but it's their job. they are not americans. they are haitians. it is the president of the united states' job to lift up the people of the united states of america and not the whole entire world. so, yes, love thy neighbor. give them help. don't leave them to die in the wind. but it ain't our job to make everybody -- they're trying to become part of the american dream. it's not our job. >> thank you. thank you, all. next, outrage over president trump's racist comments, still trying to push for immigration reform. who does he want to come into the united states other than people from norway? allegation that a trump lawyer paid a porn star to stop her from discussing a relationship with the president. a story the white house is denying tonight.

tonight, as the president faces widespread condemnation, for describing african countries as s-hole countries.

comments, i need to emphasize, lawmakers in the room have confirmed he said. the bipartisan daca deal presented to myself was a big step backward. chain and lottery were made worse and u.s. would be forced to take people from large-crime countries that are doing badly. i want merit-based system and people who will help take our country to the next level. kevin deleone, former senior economic adviser to the trump campaign. let moort start with you on this basic question whachlt do you say to president trump's call for a merit-based immigration system? by the way, one that many countries that america admires already have, australia, canada, the united kingdom among them? >> the statue of liberty doesn' say send me your richest, smartest as well as your whitest people. that's not what america is

about. as the youngest child of a single immigrant mother with a third grade education, who worked her fingers to the bone and contributed greatly to this country by cleaning other people's homes and taking care of the wealthiest, how do we have a merit-based exclusive program in place back in that day? i can tell you this. i would never become the leader of the california state senate. that's what's magical about this country and about america. we are a great country because of our diversity not in spite of it. >> steve, what's your response to that? >> i agree entirely with that. our diversity and immigration heritage has been one of the reasons we're the greatest nation on this earth. immigrants make gigantic contributions to this country. >> so you're not for a switch to merit based? >> sorry? >> so are you for the president's merit-based

immigration? >> yes, i am. most economists are. erin, you would be, too. we're not talking about eliminating family-based immigration system, where people can bring in their children and so on. that's always been the basis for our immigration system. i think we should also move toward a system where we want -- we get the best and the brightest and the hardest working people all over the worl world. >> we already do. >> pardon? >> look at our tech companies. kevin deleone. we get the best and brightest in this country already. >> exactly. they do. look, i'm pro -- but, erin, the question is, we are a sovereign nation. we get to decide who comes into this country. we're not going to admit everyone who wants to come. why not have a system where we take people with special skills, talents, whether it's in technology, whether it's in business and finance? that's what makes america a powerful nation.

that doesn't mean we're not going to take people who are maybe refugees or who have family connections. by the way, i have to say this. i think it is somewhat racist to say that the only people who have talents, special skills and are great in technology are white from europe. i've been to silicon valley. i've seen people working in those laboratories. they're mexicans, chinese, taiwanese. just because you have a merit-based system doesn't mean it's racist. >> let me make a point, senator deleon. he wants to shift it. he wants more merit and less chain, i guess. not eliminate it, but a lot less. >> yes. >> so viewers understand that's families and extended families coming to the united states. here is the president. >> right. >> we're going to, as quickly as possible, get rid of chain migration and go to a mer

merit-based system. chain migration is a disaster for this country and it's going to end. chain migration threatens our security, our economy and provides a gateway for terrorism. >> from what he said there, i think it's pretty clear and i want to make sure i clarify what i said. he wants to get rid of it completely. this is important, senator. because if you look at the numbers in 2015, according to the nonpartisan migration policy institute, 1 million permanent residents were admitted in that year. of that number on job-based visas, h1b. i guess that's your best proxy for merit. you add it together, 65% came from chain migration. two-thirds of the people coming into this country coming because of who their families are. are you okay with that or do you think that that maybe is too high? >> well, let me say the following. we talk about, quote, unquote, chain migration, that's a euphamism for separating families. this country is based on the

ideals of democracy, the very best we have to offer for the entire world. family reunification, bringing spouses together as well as their children. i agree with steve that if you come to the most diverse state in the country, california -- >> it's not just mooeld immediate family. >> daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, aunts and uncles. >> we're talking about grandparents, siblings. we're talking about keeping families together. but let me be clear, you have folks from asia, our own western hemisphere if you go to silicon valley. we have a beautiful mosaic, rich tapestry. that's our diversity, our strength as a nation. the president's disgusting comments yesterday are further proof that he has a deep resentment of people with color

and immigrants from the rest of the world. he has put americans, our own military in danger, quite frankly, in developing nations throughout the world, either covert operations, jeopardizing our status even more so globally. >> let me give you a chance to respond to what the president said. he didn't say he wanted to adjust the numbers. he said he wanted to get rid of it. it's horrible. it's a disaster. would you go that far? that's what the president said repeatedly in that sound bite. >> no, no, no. >> that's what he said in that sound bite. >> that's not -- when people talk about chain migration, they're not -- look, everyone agrees that you should be able to bring in children or you should be able to bring in immediate family members. there are certain categories that should be eliminated. for example, it doesn't make sense for the united states to bring in elderly parents. they're not going to be working.

they're probably going to cost the american taxpayer rather than benefit. >> that's actually inaccurate, steve. >> what sense does it make to allow somebody, you know, to bring in a 70-year-old parent to the united states? >> i guess that's a point of humanity. steve, the point is, you're saying everybody agrees. maybe the president does and didn't say what he thinks. he does usually say what he thinks, as we know. if he understands what it is, he wants to end it. that's what he said. >> i've talked to donald trump about this. he doesn't want to end the family immigration system. he wants to make sure you can't bring an uncle or aunt or cousin or something like that. by the way, the tradition -- >> he didn't say what he means here or didn't talk to you yet? >> pardon me? >> he either didn't say what he meant in those sound bites or hadn't talked to you when he said it. >> sometimes donald trump says things -- i always said you have to look at what donald trump is doing, not what he says. i have to say i'm frustrated with cnn throughout the whole

day coverage of these people calling donald trump a racist, how many people have mentioned on this station in the last 24 hours that the black unemployment rate and the hispanic unemployment rate are at record lows thanks to donald trump's policies? how many people have mentioned that donald trump's policies have created twice as many jobs per month as barack obama's policies have? how many people have mentioned that he wants to give vouchers to 5 million black and hispanic children so they can go to schools? >> i will end this simply pointing out that whether he is responsible for those things or not is a topic of an entirely different debate. >> the numbers are awfully good for black americans right now and the economy. >> i'm simply saying in terms of responsibility, that is another debate. >> wow! >> appreciate your time tonight. "out front," fallout from vulgar remarks about immigrants. the world is saying a lot about trump. break news. the president allegedly arranged a payment to a porn star right before the election. why?

tonight the white house and the porn star are denying the report. ♪ if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis,... ...isn't it time to let the real you shine through? maybe it's time for otezla (apremilast). otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats plaque psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months,... ...with reduced redness,... ...thickness, and scaliness of plaques. and the otezla prescribing information has... ...no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. tell your doctor if these occur. otezla is associated with an increased... ...risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have... ...a history of depression... ...or suicidal thoughts,... ...or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla... ...reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. other side effects include upper... ...respiratory tract infection and headache. tell your doctor about all the medicines you take... ...and if you're pregnant or planning to be. ask your dermatologist about otezla today. otezla. show more of you.

shocking and shameful, racist, completely unacceptable, just some of the international response after president trump used the word s-hole, referring to some countries where black and hispanic people live. listen. >> it is completely unaccepta e unacceptable. it is surreal at this juncture to imagine this was said by the president. >> it is not fair to describe africa as shithole. that is completely wrong. >> ambassador, i appreciate your time. that was reaction from the governor of puerto rico, u.n. spokesperson for human rights.

what is the effect of the president's words? is this something people can shrug off and say that's just him? or is this different? >> erin, i don't think we can exaggerate the damage that president trump has done with these statements. if you think of when he called mexicans at the beginning of the campaign, his moral cowardice after the charlottesville events, the fact that he's gone after african-american athletes and now these statements. there's been a persistent pattern here where the leader of the free world, the most powerful person in the world is exhibiting clear, racist behavior. it's shocking to people around the world. they haven't heard an american president in a century engage in such talk. it's affected his credibility. he won't be as effective in leading delegations around the world because they won't believe in him. and the immigrant-based na nature of our society, the refugee base d based system of

country. people in after ricka middle east and europe, what they really admire about us is that we are democratic to our core but multiethnic and multireligious and he is contradicting, president trump, that very basis of our society. >> haiti and botswana addressed trump's remarks. botswana demanding to say, are we an s-hole? they wanted to know and called the ambassador in. how difficult is this for the u.s. diplomats around the world, who are now supplened in to answer that question, to represent their president? >> it's the most difficult day you -- any of these ambassadors could have. you can imagine what it was like today. they're our personal representatives to the president. their job is to support and defend our government, our country but also our president. i think today, especially our career ambassadors, who know

what they're doing, who know what the oath of office is, i think they had to go into those governments to say this is not what americans believe. this is not who we are. we don't believe these vile things that the president has said. it's difficult to do that. but you have to represent our country. and the ethics of our country, as well. and i hope and believe that's what a lot of our ambassadors did today. >> we learned today that the u.s. ambassador to panama, a career diplomat, is retiring. and he's doing so, ambassador, after only having been there two years. obviously, he wasn't -- that's very unusual, right? not what you would expect to happen. i want to take a point. he submitted his resignation before trump's comments but the comment was everyone has a line they don't want to cross and we respect that. we're sorry to see him go. how significant is this

departure? >> it's unusual for an american ambassador to resign in protest against our country's policies. it's happened before with lower-level diplomats. when we serve overseas we have a duty to serve the president faithfully, loyally. if you think you can't do that or you're opposed to what the president is doing on ethical or moral grounds, you resign. we had people resign over the vietnam war, iraq war in 2003, balkan wars. for an american ambassador, it's unusual. you saw at the very beginning of the administration, just about a year ago, more than 1,000 foreign service officers took part in a protest. it was inside the government. this president is defying the basic foreign policy that we've had over the last 70 years in terms of how we treat people, whether we believe in immigration, refugees or not. you know, erin, this is the greatest refugee crisis in the

world right now since 1945. 63 million displaced people. president doesn't want to take a single syrian refugee. he wants to cut immigration in half and steer out all refugees. did he in 2017. he has challenged all the people to serve him and i know people are try iing to serve him faithfully are career diplomats. >> thank you very much, ambassador burns. >> thank you. next, breaking news, did donald trump's attorney arrange a large payment to a porn star one month before the election? new report out in the wall street journal says yes. coaching means making tough choices.

jim! you're in! but when you have high blood pressure and need cold medicine that works fast, the choice is simple. coricidin hbp is the #1 brand

that gives powerful cold symptom relief without raising your blood pressure. coricidin hbp. having mplaque psoriasise is not always easy. it's a long-distance run. and you have the determination to keep going. humira has a proven track record of being prescribed for nearly 10 years. humira works inside the body to target and help block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to symptoms. in clinical trials, most adults taking humira were clear or almost clear and many saw 75% and even 90% clearance in just four months. humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal, infections and cancers, including lymphoma have happened as have blood, liver, and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms, or sores. don't start humira if you have an infection. join over 250,000 people who have chosen humira.

ask about the #1 prescribed biologic by dermatologists. humira & go. breaking news. the "wall street journal" reporting tonight that donald trump's personal lawyer arranged a payment to a porn star just a month before the presidential election. the $130,000 payment reportedly to prevent her from talking publicly about an alleged sexual encounter with the president. tom foreman is out front. tom, what are you learning? >> this is the big claim in the "wall street journal," that this woman was paid $130,000 a month before the election to keep quiet about a sexual encounter with donald trump. according to the "journal," trump had this encounter with an adult film star who goes by the name stormy daniels, in 2006 at a celebrity golf tournament. the journal says this new report of mush money comes from people familiar with the matter but the president's long-time lawyer michael cohen is hitting back hard saying these rumors have circulated time and again since

2011, president trump once again vehemently denies any such occurrence, as has ms. daniels, although we'll note that he did not directly address the idea of a payment, just the occurrence or non-occurrence, as he would state it, of this event. >> okay. so has the porn star responded to the claims of either the alleged sexual encounter itself or the payment? >> well, not to us directly. cohen gave cnn a statement. he says is from stormy daniels. saying "my involvement with donald trump was limited to a few public appearances and nothing more. when i met donald trump, he was gracious, professional, and a complete gentleman to me and everyone in my presence. rumors that i've received hush money from donald trump are completely false. if indeed i had a relationship with donald trump trust me you wouldn't be reading about it in the news, you would be reading about it in my book. but the fact of the matter is these stories are not true." again, cnn has reached out to

try to get her to independently confirm that. we've not spoken to her yet, and trump's lawyer cohen has not provided a contact for her information so we can reach her directly. >> i want to make a point. you made it loud and clear. you about i want to make it loud and clear. the woman at the center of this is being represented in terms of statements by trump's attorney. just making it clear. >> and if this alleged event did nonetheless take place, if it did happen, it would have occurred the year after he married now first lady melania. trump and the white house is weighing in there too saying this is all old recycled news, erin, strongly denied, prior to the election. >> thank you very much, tom foreman. >> you're welcome. >> and next, the growing controversy over big game hunting. is it a sport that actually helps animals or something more sinister?

>> reporter: jason molitor monitors the herds of roughly 60 different species spread across 18,000 acres of land on the ox ranch. at every turn you come across not just native white tail deer

but a dizzying array of african species. hunters shell out big money for a guided excursion to hunt down prized trophies on this land, choosing from a menu of animals to hunt, paying anywhere from a few thousand dollars to as much as $35,000. and they say they're doing it not just for the thrill of the hunt but in the name of conservation. >> i know it sounds contradictory, but hunters love animals. >> reporter: hunters pay to hunt the oldest males that are past breeding age. the number of animals killed is controlled. it's essentially, they argue, sacrificing a few animals from a herd to grow the population of a species. >> just because a guy comes in here and says i've got some money, i want to shoot this, i'm not going to shoot it if it's not something that benefits me and my management program to take that animal out. >> today trophy hunting is a

sport, and it is a horror show. >> reporter: preshan't katan is with an animal advocacy group called born free. he says the idea that the money paid to kill one animal to help save the species is a myth. >> there's no benefit to trophy hunting. it really just lines the pockets of an elite few and it's a practice that's done by a very small percent of the population to put the trophies up in their house to show off that they've killed off another animal. >> reporter: but hunters like cory knowlton say that's unfair and that trophy hunters shell out millions every year because that money goes back into managing and growing the populations of endangered sfeesees. knowlton received death threats when he paid $350,000 to hunt a black rhino in namibia. cnn followed him on that hunt in 2015. knowlton still feels confident the money he paid is protecting the endangered black rhino from poachers. he says animals need to have a

value to ensure their survival. >> we can't make an individual animal live forever but we can preserve a species for as long as we can. as long as humanly possible. as long as we have an environment through the sustainable use. >> reporter: trophy hunters like to say that they spend more money than anyone to help protect animals around the world. but critics question whether countries that promote trophy hunts manage that money properly. >> it benefits governments, and i think it benefits the companies that put on these hunts. but that's it. it doesn't benefit the people. it certainly doesn't benefit the animals that they're killing. >> reporter: back on the ox ranch jason molitor says for him the issue is simple. >> everybody can sit in their high-rise apartment in the middle of the city and say you shouldn't hunt this animal. but what are they doing to save that animal? >> reporter: but for the critics trophy hunting remains a barbaric blood sport. ed lavandera, cnn, yuvalde

county, texas. >> and don't miss the new film "trophy." it's on this weekend on cnn, sunday night at 9:00 eastern and pacific. and thanks so much to all of you for joining us. have a great weekend. "ac 360" begins right now. good evening. tonight with toxic fallout spreading from president trump's racist comments along with a cloud of evasions including yet again from the president himself we begin keeping them honest with words that would resonate coming from any other president but ring particularly hollow today. >> today we celebrate dr. king for standing up for the self-evident truth americans hold so dear, that no matter what the color of our skin or the place of our birth we are all created equal by god. >> the president reading this year's martin luther king jr. da