- President Donald Trump said that immigrants from Haiti and Africa come from "shithole" countries.
- Emmanuel Mensah, an immigrant from Ghana and member of the Army National Guard, died while trying to save people from a building in the Bronx over the holidays.
- People are sharing his story as a way of rebuking Trump.
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The story of a US National Guard soldier from Ghana who died trying to save people in a deadly Bronx fire is being shared as a counterpoint to Trump's 'shithole' comments
His name was Emmanuel Mensah and he was an immigrant from Ghana.
In the aftermath of President Donald Trump's comments that immigrants from Haiti and Africa come from "shithole" countries, users on Twitter are pointing out a story of an immigrant from Ghana who sacrificed his life to save others during a deadly fire in the Bronx over the holidays.
Emmanuel Mensah was a 28-year-old immigrant from Ghana who joined the Army National Guard. He was living with friends of his father — a married couple and their four children. When the fire started, he was able to get that family to safety, and then ran back into the building and pulled four more people from the fire to safety.
Mensah went in to grab a fifth person, but was not able to make it out of the building, and is believed to have died of smoke inhalation.
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"I thought maybe he was coming back," Emmanuel's father, Kwabena Mensah, told CBS News. "Unfortunately, it turns out the other way."
Kwabena said he was not surprised by his son's final act.
"That's what I think, because it was in his nature," Kwabena said. "He wanted to help people out."
Now, Twitter users are posting Emmanuel Mensah's picture and sharing his story as a rebuke to Trump's reported Oval Office comments that African countries are "shitholes."
The most widely-shared tweet comes from conservative commentator Bill Kristol. Notably, the tweet was retweeted by Trump's presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton:
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Two weeks ago a 26-year old... @ Bill Kristol
Veterans and other people connected to military service have also shared Emmanuel Mensah's story:
Emmanuel Mensah was a @USAr... @ Vets Against Trump
Private Emmanuel Mensah mad... @ Red T Raccoon
PFC Emmanuel Mensah, an imm... @ Dianne Gallagher
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