Trump Warned of South Africa – in 2013
Said country waiting to explode
By Dan Lyman Friday, August 24, 2018
President Donald Trump addressed the white land seizures and murders in South Africa Wednesday, but tweets dating back to 2013 reveal an established precedent for his concern over the country’s deteriorating condition.
“I really like Nelson Mandela but South Africa is a crime-ridden mess that is just waiting to explode-not a good situation for the people!” Trump tweeted in 2013.
I really like Nelson Mandela but South Africa is a crime ridden mess that is just waiting to explode-not a good situation for the people!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2013
Quoting South African entertainment personality Amaru Da Costa in 2014, Trump tweeted, “Sadly Donald Trump was correct about South Africa – the level of violence is irrepressible.”
“@amarudacosta: Sadly @realDonaldTrump was correct about South Africa – the level of violence is irrepressible”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2014
And in April of 2015, just weeks before announcing his presidential candidacy, Trump offered this grim assessment:
“As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total – and very dangerous – mess,” he wrote. “Just watch the evening news (when not talking weather).”
As I have long been saying, South Africa is a total – and very dangerous – mess. Just watch the evening news (when not talking weather).
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2015
Trump announced he has instructed the State Department to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large-scale killing of farmers,” triggering a massive backlash from South African officials and mainstream media, as outlets like the Huffington Post, New York Times, and Washington Post tied Trump’s comments to ‘racism’ and ‘neo-Nazi conspiracy theories.’
Following Trump’s tweet, the South African rand immediately lost roughly 2% of its value against the US dollar amid speculation the US may levy sanctions or reexamine the flow of financial aid to South Africa, which tops $500 million annually.
Julius Malema, a prominent South African figurehead promoting white land seizure, asserted that nothing short of “death” would deter his allies from their mission.
“We must be prepared for Donald Trump and all of them,” Malema said at press conference. “We are not scared of them. We remain unshaken. Actually, we are more determined after the Donald Trump tweet to appropriate our land without compensation. There is no white genocide here.”
“We are not scared of such things. We are not going to be distracted by anyone. Only death will stop us. Not Trump, not poverty, not sanctions… We know the consequences of what we are asking for.”
