Sen. John McCain John Sidney McCainMcSally says current Senate should vote on Trump nominee Say what you will about the presidential candidates, as long as it isn't 'They're too old' The electoral reality that the media ignores MORE (R-Ariz.) on Friday said President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE should "respect" that immigrants "from everywhere have made America great."

McCain was responding to Trump's reported comment that Haiti, El Salvador and other African nations are "shithole countries." He referenced Trump's campaign motto "make America great again."

“Respect for the God-given dignity of every human being, no matter their race, ethnicity or other circumstances of their birth, is the essence of American patriotism," McCain said in a statement.

"To believe otherwise is to oppose the very idea of America," he continued. "People have come to this country from everywhere, and people from everywhere have made America great. Our immigration policy should reflect that truth, and our elected officials, including our President, should respect it.”

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Trump made the reported comments on Thursday during a private meeting with lawmakers to discuss a possible deal on immigration policy.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to The Washington Post.

Several top GOP lawmakers reacted to the president's alleged comments, including House Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (Wis.) who called Trump's remarks "very unhelpful."

McCain has been a consistent proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, as well as an increasingly frequent critic of Trump-backed legislation, including a proposal to implement merit-based immigration policies.