After Trump calls Norway a 'shithouse country,' tourism board fires back: 'We have the world's finest toilets'

After Donald Trump called Norway a "shithouse country," the Norwegian tourism board fired back by promoting the country's scenic public restrooms.

According to Britain's Guardian and France's AFP news agency, Trump made the remarks Thursday (local time) at a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, ahead of the US midterm elections. "Frankly, Norway is terrible. Norway has actually become a shithouse country," Trump said.

Trump said he would accept immigrants from some countries but not Norway, adding it was "because they haven't won the Nobel Prize."

In response, Norway's official tourism board, Visit Norway, posted on its Facebook page Tuesday: "We've been hearing a lot about being a 'shithouse country.' Well, we happen to have some of the world's most magnificent toilets. With love, Visit Norway."

The board also published a feature on its website titled "Is this the world's greatest outhouse?" showcasing photos of public restrooms overlooking fjords, waterfalls and scenic viewpoints.

Riffing on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, the board declared: "Norway is making toilets great again!" It added that the restrooms were "worth a visit whether you're in a hurry or not."

The toilets featured by the tourism board were designed by renowned architects along 18 "National Scenic Routes" across Norway, and several have won international architecture awards.

Yevgenia Egorova, a senior consultant at Visit Norway, told Norwegian public broadcaster NRK that "the world needs a little laughter," adding, "We thought we'd respond with kindness and a touch of humor."

Jens Kjeldsen, a professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen, also told NRK that Trump was "like a schoolyard bully," warning that "if you take the bully too seriously, the bully wins." Kjeldsen praised the tourism board's response.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the Nobel Peace Prize is decided by an independent Nobel Committee, not the Norwegian government, and that Trump "knows this very well." Eide added that he had reminded Trump of the fact "in case anyone was wondering."

Trump reacted furiously when this year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from South Africa. At the time, Trump called the decision "an indelible stain on Norway and those who made this shameful and embarrassing decision," saying, "I've never even heard of this person. The Nobel Peace Prize has lost all credibility forever. We will not forget, Norway."