Jozy Altidore has fired back at United States President Donald Trump over reported comments demeaning the countries and people of Africa, Haiti and El Salvador.
Trump, during negotiations over immigration, was reported to have responded to a proposal to restore protections for people from those areas with a question of why the U.S. was allowing “all these people from s**thole countries” to immigrate.
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The comments have caused massive global outrage and charges of racism, as President Trump followed up by asking why the U.S. doesn’t allow more people from places like Norway instead.
And Altidore, who was born in New Jersey but is the son of Haitian immigrants, took to Twitter to post a direct response to the President, along with two other prominent black athletes.
The Toronto FC striker posted a photo of himself, Nashville Predators star defenseman P.K. Subban and multi-time Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt with the caption: “Three s**thole dudes just living the dream, @realdonaldtrump.”
Three #shithole dudes just living the dream, @realdonaldtrump. cc: @PKSubban1 @usainbolt pic.twitter.com/PPFZeyjNZ7
— Jozy Altidore (@JozyAltidore) January 13, 2018
Subban is Canadian and Bolt is Jamaican, but both are of African descent.
Altidore has personally tried to assist Haiti in the past, helping in relief efforts following a massive 2010 earthquake, raising money for projects to bring more clean water to the country and donating to get every Haiti game in the 2016 Copa America broadcast on local television.
While he directly called out President Trump in his statement, Altidore is not the only athlete who appeared to take umbrage with the President in the last 24 hours.
In his statement announcing his comeback with Liga MX club Leon, former U.S. international Landon Donovan tweeted: "I don't believe in walls. I want to go to Mexico, wear green & win trophies with Leon. We'll see each other very soon!"
Donovan's message is likely a reference to President Trump's long-running campaign promise to build a border wall to keep Mexican immigrants out of the U.S.