Posted on May 14, 2025

After Anderson Cooper Called Out Trump's "Absurd" Speech About White South African Refugees, People Have A Lot To Say

"This is a slap in the face for the real refugees who have been waiting in line for years."

by Morgan Sloss

BuzzFeed Staff

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A person in a suit and tie speaks at a podium with a microphone. Background features a framed artwork and books

On Monday, the president said, "It's a genocide that's taking place... Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white. But whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me. But white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa."

REPORTER: Why are you creating an expedited path into the country for Afrikaners but not others?

TRUMP: Because they're being killed. And we don't want to see people be killed ... it's a genocide that's taking place. Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white. pic.twitter.com/8LV3VmZ296
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 12, 2025

RSBN / Twitter: @atrupar

According to ABC News, 59 Afrikaners (white South Africans with Dutch ancestry) have entered the country, and more will arrive in the coming months. The outlet noted that the Trump administration has been curiously evasive when asked who is paying for the resettlement.

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A person with white hair and glasses on TV, overlaid text debunks a myth about genocide in South Africa

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Responses are from this TikTok video, this TikTok video, and X (formerly Twitter).

A social media comment reads: "Just a coincidence that Elon is from South Africa." The comment shows 21.1K likes

Comment stating "This is a slap in the face for the real refugees who have been waiting in line for years," with 40.6K likes

Tweet by Dr. Allison Wiltz highlights the discrepancy in labels for White immigrants as "refugees" and Black/Brown immigrants as "illegal aliens."

A comment with 36.6K likes reads, "He's decolonising South Africa" followed by a praying and crying emoji

Tweet by Alex Cole denying genocide of white people in South Africa, dated May 12, 2025, with 4.4M views and 103K likes

A social media comment criticizing Trump with 6,693 likes

Comment saying, "As an Afrikaner South African, I feel confused that people believe this," with two laughing emojis. 7,406 likes

Tweet questioning if a racist statement aligns with MAGA views, receiving mixed engagement

Comment says, "The blatant racism is astounding," with an angry face emoji, indicating strong disapproval

Comment reads: "white" and "racial discrimination" in the same sentence, with plant and shrug emojis. 13K likes, 1 day ago

Comment apologizes to Black South Africans, acknowledging white privilege and lack of disadvantage, expressing embarrassment for fellow white South Africans

Comment criticizing racial preference, accusing it of being deliberate and offensive to the political left and others

Cartoon character holds a chart labeled "Trump's Immigration Program" with categories "Refugee" and "Criminal," illustrating controversial policy views

After Anderson Cooper Called Out Trump's "Absurd" Speech About White South African Refugees, People Have A Lot To Say

You've probably heard by now that Donald Trump is welcoming white South Africans into the US and offering them fast-tracked citizenship.

On Monday, the president said, "It's a genocide that's taking place... Farmers are being killed. They happen to be white. But whether they are white or Black makes no difference to me. But white farmers are being brutally killed, and their land is being confiscated in South Africa."

Obviously, this move is completely at odds with Trump's usual immigration stance. His administration has rejected refugees from a number of countries, including Haiti and Afghanistan, while increasing deportation efforts and sending people to a prison in El Salvador.

Here's what the internet is saying:

1. "Just a coincidence that Elon is from South Africa."

2. "This is a slap in the face for the real refugees who have been waiting in line for years."

3. "Calling White immigrants refugees and Black and Brown immigrants 'illegal aliens' is a textbook case of propaganda."

4. "He's decolonising South Africa."

5. "I hate to break it to you guys, but there is no genocide of white people in South Africa."

6. "Ahhhh....so as long as they're white it's right in trumps mind."

7. "As an afrikaner south african, i feel confused that people believe this."

8. "Why don't the south africans go back to where they came from and fix their own country? Am I doing this right, MAGA?"

9. "The blatant racism is astounding."

10. "'white' and 'racial discrimination' in the same sentence."

11. "This is such an embarrassment to white South Africans. I’m sincerely sorry to all black South Africans. As a white South African I will easily confirm that I am in no way targeted or disadvantaged. In fact I am advantaged at the expense of black South Africans."

12. "This is just a big middle finger to the Left and to the rest of the world. It’s blatant racial preference and he knows it and so does everyone else."

13. And finally:

What do you think about all this? LMK in the comments below.