"Shithole country": Trump attacked Libya - and published an unusual statement

US President Donald Trump called Libya a "shithole country" at a campaign rally, sparking a wave of condemnation from both rival Libyan governments, and published a conciliatory message on Truth Social without an apology.

US President Donald Trump published a conciliatory message toward Libya, after calling it a "shithole country" during a campaign rally in Georgia. Both rival Libyan governments condemned the remarks: the government in the east demanded an official apology, and the government in Tripoli summoned the American diplomatic representative for a protest. The Libyan envoy to the UN harshly attacked Trump. Conservative journalist Laura Loomer, close to Trump, escalated the tone and called for canceling visas for Libyan citizens. Trump published a message on Truth Social in which he praised the Libyan people and emphasized the partnership in the fight against terrorism, but did not apologize. He repeated his stance against illegal immigration from Libya. The article reports on the diplomatic storm and Trump's attempt to calm tensions, while quoting reactions from both sides of the Libyan divide and from the conservative side in the US.