President Donald Trump referred to an intelligence analyst as a "pretty Korean lady" and asked why she wasn't talking with the North Koreans to help curb their nuclear weapons program.
According to NBC News, the incident occurred last fall when the analyst was briefing Trump about the release of a family being held in Pakistan. At the end of the Oval Office briefing, Trump reportedly asked the woman where she was from.
She said New York and, when pressed, added Manhattan. But NBC cited two officials with knowledge of what took place who said Trump was really asking the woman where "your people" are from.
The woman then told Trump her parents are Korean, which prompted Trump to look toward one of his advisers ask aloud why the "pretty Korean lady" wasn't talking to the North Koreans on behalf of the White House.
Later in the story, NBC noted that the two sources it spoke with said it appeared Trump did not mean any harm by asking about the woman's heritage.
The story came out the day after Trump was accused of using the term "s***hole countries" to describe Haiti and certain nations in Africa during a bipartisan immigration meeting.
Not everyone who was in the meeting has confirmed that Trump said the remarks. Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and David Perdue, R-Ga. said in a joint statement they "do not recall" Trump saying that. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., would not confirm the remarks either, but noted that he spoke up during the meeting when Trump said whatever he said.
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