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’s Homeland Security secretary said Tuesday that it is possible he referred to “shithole countries” during a closed-door meeting on immigration last week, though she maintained that she did not hear the vulgar word used.

Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenDHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections Democrats smell blood with new DHS whistleblower complaint MORE faced fierce questions at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about a Washington Post report that Trump made disparaging remarks about Haiti, El Salvador and African countries during the bipartisan meeting on Thursday.

Nielsen has said repeatedly that she did not hear Trump use the word “shithole.”

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“You testified under oath that you did not hear the president use that word at the meeting,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy KlobucharThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - White House moves closer to Pelosi on virus relief bill EPA delivers win for ethanol industry angered by waivers to refiners It's time for newspapers to stop endorsing presidential candidates MORE (D-Minn.) asked. “Is it possible that he said that word at the meeting and you didn’t hear it?”

“Anything is possible, yes ma’am,” Nielsen answered.

She also said Tuesday that she did not hear him say “shithouse,” which reports have suggested may have been the term he actually used.

“It was a meeting of 12 people. There was cross talk,” Nielsen said later, when asked if that term could have been used even when she didn’t hear it. “Anything is possible. I can’t testify to what I don’t know.”

The Washington Post first reported that Trump referred derisively to “shithole countries" during the meeting and exhibited a preference for immigrants from places like Norway. Sen. Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinMcConnell focuses on confirming judicial nominees with COVID-19 talks stalled Senate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Top GOP senator calls for Biden to release list of possible Supreme Court picks MORE (D-Ill.) has backed the Post's account, though some Republican senators have denied that Trump used the term “shithole.”

Trump himself has denied making the disparaging comment and described the press accounts as inaccurate.

Trump’s alleged comments have attracted massive attention in recent days, with Democrats stepping up charges of racism.