Trump, always a racist

It makes sense that some people saw Trump’s presidency as a chance for a more consistent approach compared to the war-driven policies of the previous administration, which provoked Russia’s military operation in Ukraine.

But the bad remains bad, no matter how much you try to disguise it. And in Trump’s case, he barely bothers to hide it—advocating for ethnic cleansing in Gaza, pressuring both sides to prevent Palestinians from having a state, continuing the U.S. tradition of ignoring UN resolutions, and keeping military aid—nuclear included—flowing to its main spearhead in the Middle East.

Racism also defines his immigration policy, especially when it comes to deporting people with darker skin—those who are not white, but brown, mixed, or Black.

Of course, he will not provide any real help to the Haitian people or work honestly to break the deadly cycle they are trapped in. But he is more than willing to lend a hand to white South Africans, offering them jobs and other benefits if they move to the U.S.

Diplomatic Misstep with South Africa

Trump has alleged that South Africa’s Black majority has subjected its white minority to systemic abuses. However, the South African government unequivocally rejected his proposal to grant white South Africans refugee status and resettlement in the United States, effectively responding, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

This initiative was outlined in an executive order signed by Trump, which suspended all financial aid and assistance to South Africa in response to what his administration described as “human rights violations” against white citizens.

The U.S. government further accused South Africa of permitting violent attacks against white Afrikaner farmers and implementing a land expropriation law that allegedly enabled the confiscation of agricultural property from the Afrikaner minority without compensation.

The South African government has firmly denied the existence of coordinated attacks against white farmers and has criticized Trump’s mischaracterization of its land policies, labeling his claims as misinformation and distortion.

“Our members work here, they wish to remain here, and they will continue to do so,” stated Dirk Hermann, Chief Executive Officer of the Afrikaner trade union Solidariteit, which represents approximately two million individuals. “We are committed to building our future in South Africa. We are not leaving.”

Similarly, Kallie Kriel, Chief Executive Officer of the Afrikaner advocacy group AfriForum, declared, “We must categorically affirm: We have no desire to relocate elsewhere.”

Afrikaners primarily descend from Dutch settlers, though they also have French and German ancestry. They speak Afrikaans, a language derived from Dutch that evolved in South Africa, and are distinct from other white South Africans of British or other European backgrounds.

Collectively, white South Africans comprise approximately 7% of the nation’s population of 62 million.

Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on South Africa—an important U.S. trade partner on the continent—was made following his and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk’s accusations that the nation’s Black population harbors an anti-white agenda. However, the portrayal of Afrikaners as an oppressed group in need of rescue is inconsistent with the prevailing socio-economic realities in South Africa.

“It is ironic that the executive order grants refugee status in the United States to a demographic in South Africa that remains among the most economically privileged,” stated the South African Foreign Ministry. The ministry also criticized Trump’s broader immigration policies, highlighting the contradiction between his concern for Afrikaners and his simultaneous deportation of vulnerable individuals from other parts of the world, denying them asylum despite their legitimate hardships.

“There has been a deliberate campaign of misinformation and propaganda targeting South Africa,” the ministry asserted.

A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa remarked, “South Africa is a constitutional democracy. We value all South Africans, regardless of race. The assertion that Afrikaners are subject to arbitrary deprivation and must flee their homeland is entirely baseless.”

White South Africans, despite being a numerical minority, continue to enjoy significantly higher living standards than Black citizens, even three decades after the end of apartheid. Despite constituting a small percentage of the population, they still own approximately 70% of the country’s private agricultural land. A 2021 study by South Africa’s Human Rights Commission indicated that only 1% of white citizens lived in poverty, compared to 64% of Black citizens.

Sithabile Ngidi, a merchant in Johannesburg, expressed skepticism regarding Trump’s claims.

“He (Trump) should have visited South Africa to witness the situation firsthand rather than relying solely on the word of Elon Musk, who has not lived in this country for many years and does not actively engage with South Africans,” Ngidi stated.

A Calculated Racist Strategy

“Donald Trump’s racism is a strategic tool, and he did not originate it,” asserts Ian Haney López, an expert in law and racial divisions in the United States. He argues that the appropriate response to Trump’s racially inflammatory rhetoric is to expose him as a manipulative figure seeking to divide American society.

“Racism is being weaponized by a president who primarily serves the interests of billionaires like himself,” López stated in an interview with BBC Mundo.

In his book Dog Whistle Politics (2014), López warned that conservative politicians employ coded racial messaging to appeal to white voters while advancing policies that disproportionately benefit the wealthy elite.

Although the specific rhetoric may evolve, racial tensions in the United States continue to escalate.

This issue is deeply rooted in the country’s history, spanning over 400 years, and Trump actively exacerbates it by inciting fear among his supporters—suggesting, for instance, that the country is in peril because Muslims are not banned from entering.

He initiated the construction of a border wall, reinforced security measures, and deployed thousands of soldiers to the southern border under the pretext of addressing the “threat” posed by immigrants and refugees. Simultaneously, he escalated mass deportations, broadly categorizing undocumented individuals as criminals solely on the basis of their immigration status.

Meanwhile, white supremacist demonstrations have emerged in several cities, with participants chanting slogans inspired by Trump’s warnings of a so-called racial invasion.

Furthermore, numerous Republican Party candidates have adopted campaign strategies reminiscent of Trump’s—less overtly provocative, yet fundamentally rooted in the same rhetoric portraying people of color as threatening and undeserving.

For Trump and his supporters, Latino communities are not regarded as truly American. This perspective underpins his drive to dismantle government programs designed to redistribute wealth from the affluent to broader segments of society. Some may argue that his cabinet included a Latino figure, Marco Rubio; however, Rubio is widely regarded as a self-denying individual who distances himself from his Cuban heritage and serves as an inspiration for Trump’s most aggressive policies against Cuba.

Ultimately, Donald Trump is a manipulator. His strategy revolves around stoking racial animosity, stepping back as societal tensions escalate, and exploiting the resulting instability for personal and political gain.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff