CNN news reporter Anderson Cooper couldn’t sign off Thursday night without adding commentary on Trump’s latest racist spew—referring to Haiti as a “shithole country.”
The hose of 360 talked about the diversity of the Haitian people and brought up how he was taught by a Haitian immigrant who later returned to his country and was assassinated while running for president. Cooper spent time in Haiti as a young reporter and was one of the first to arrive with crew after Haiti’s massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake that devastated the country and killed anywhere between 220k and 300k people. The disaster took place exactly eight years ago, on Friday—one day after Trump’s hateful remarks.
Haitians are strong people, Anderson Cooper says, and they have suffered more than any people should have to suffer. He remembers watching bodies being pulled out of the rubble with the bare and bloodied hands of the Haitian people. At one point, Cooper has to stop to gather composure when talking about the rescue of a five-year-old boy who had been buried for seven days—with only rain water to survive. The 360anchorman continued to fight back tears for the remainder of the two-minute closing.
Here is the CNN clip.
In talking about the character of the Haitian people, Cooper says:
“Haitians slap your hand hard when they shake it—they look you in eye and they don’t blink. They stand tall with dignity…it’s a dignity our president with all his money and power could learn from…”
Cooper ends his commentary saying he hopes the people of Haiti know our thoughts are with them, “and our love is with them, as well.”