Former Republican President Donald Trump suggested "hundreds of thousands" of Haitian migrants heading to the U.S./Mexico border is a "death wish" and they "probably have AIDS."
Like many of his fear-mongering claims during his time in the Oval Office, his proclamation on Thursday during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News lacked evidence.
"We have hundreds of thousands of people flowing in from Haiti," Trump claimed.
"Haiti has a tremendous AIDS problem."
"AIDS is a step beyond. AIDS is a real bad problem."
You can watch the clip of the interview here:
Trump is lashing out against Haitians again! Speaking to Fox Sean Hannity, Trump baselessly said that hundreds of thousands of them were "flowing in"& "probably have AIDS," echoing disparaging remarks he made toward Haiti during his tenure as president. pic.twitter.com/4ZrCMLTUId
— Lunionsuite 🇭🇹 (@LunionSuite) October 8, 2021
The two were discussing the subject of immigration during which Hannity claimed he supported "legal immigration."
But in addition to requiring a COVID-19 test and proof you "won't be a financial burden on the American people," Hannity asked if it would be inappropriate to require a "security check to make sure you don't have radical associations."
Trump—who allegedly called Haiti and African nations "sh*thole" countries during a closed White House meeting with lawmakers while President—said those measures were valid, but he brought up the unsubstantiated topic of AIDS-afflicted Haitian migrants as the "one other thing that nobody talks about."
Trump continued:
"So hundreds of thousands of people are coming into our country that if you look at the stats, if you look at the numbers, if you look at—just take a look at what's happening in Haiti, a tremendous problem with AIDS."
"Many of those people will probably have AIDS and they're coming into our country and we don't do anything about it."
"We let everybody come in. Sean, it's like a death wish. It's like a death wish for our country."
Twitter and Haiti gave a collective eye roll.
After Trump went on Hannity to rant about Haiti's "AIDS problem," its US lobbyists offered to set up an interview with the Haitian ambassador to the US. As best I can tell Hannity hasn't taken them up on it pic.twitter.com/3EQHN73uBC
— Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) October 18, 2021
Trump told millions of viewers on Hannity that Haitians come in bringing their AIDS.
The actual statistic as of 2020 is that 1.9% of population has AIDS.
So is there another reason why he automatically associates blacks with AIDS???? 🤔
— Tarence Ferrell (@TarenceTf) October 10, 2021
Trump on Hannity.
Haitian immigrants probably all have Aids. Here he goes.
Planting that racist seed.
What's wrong with him ?
Blatant statements with no backing
— Cindy Myers (@CindyMy93852622) October 8, 2021
Hannity Lets Trump Lie About Haitian Immigrants' 'Tremendous AIDS Problem': Donald Trump revived his racist smears of Haitians during a palsy chat with Sean Hannity last night – and “pro-immigration" Hannity was not just fine with it, he all but asked… https://t.co/xEAhQMrEIH pic.twitter.com/OvFhEUDeFq
— NewsHounds (@NewsHounds) October 8, 2021
Calling into Fox News on Thursday night Trump let his racist colors fly stating to his former ghost VP Sean Hannity (w/o a shred of proof) that many Haitian migrants 'probably have AIDS ' and 'Sean, it's like a death wish. It's like a death wish for our country.' pic.twitter.com/tXLfACL8AX
— DrawOutsideTheLines (@lines_draw) October 8, 2021
Leave it to the bedtime twins, Trump and Hannity, to spew noxious racist conspiracy fumes about Haitian migrants and AIDS. #Trump #Haitians #AIDS #SeanHannity #Fox #ConspiracyTheories #WhiteSupremacists https://t.co/aoJdbwo2sX
— Crooks and Liars (@crooksandliars) October 9, 2021
Some pointed out his own failings in the prioritization and handling of harmful viral pathogens far more contagious than HIV.
There is proof that Donald Trump, is a racist. He did say immigrants at the southern border were rapists & thieves & Haitians are bringing HIV into the USA. He insisted on calling Covid 19 the "Chinese" Virus that sparked violent treatment of anyone of Asian descent.
— Craddocks (@771klcraddoc) October 13, 2021
Trump. Grr. Saying accepting Haitian migrants is a “death wish for this country". He's got some huge balls to even think of saying that after the death wish of covid misinformation he's unleashed on all of us. I hate that motherfucker so much.
— Crystal Bodien-Cook (@ItsCrysCook) October 11, 2021
The same people who don't see covid as a threat are the same people who trump terrifies with 'hundreds of thousands' of Haitians coming over the border with covid. They say they have no fear, but are controlled by it.
— 🌟𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕣𝕚𝕥 𝕆𝕟 ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕝𝕖🌟 (@SpiritOnParole) October 10, 2021
For decades, Haitian migrants seeking asylum in the U.S. have been demonized as disease carriers and subjected to violence and discrimination.
According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, approximately 150,000 Haitians are living with the virus that causes AIDS.
However, those who are reportedly heading for the U.S./Mexico border are believed to be coming from South American countries, many of whom fled Haiti after a catastrophic 7.2 magnitude earthquake and a devastating tropical storm ravaged much of the country.
In contrast to the "hundreds of thousands" of Haitian migrants purported by Trump, an estimated 15,000 reached the international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, hoping to cross the border.
Since September 19, the U.S. government has used a Trump-era order, Title 42, for the deportation of more than 7,000 migrants on flights back to Haiti, according to information from the United Nations.
The Biden Administration was recently criticized by immigrant advocates and some Democrats for sending too many Haitians back to their homeland.
