Former President Donald Trump. Win McNamee/Getty Images
Donald Trump criticized Haitian immigrants who came to the US from Haiti, claiming they had "probably got AIDS."
He stated that allowing them to enter the US would be "like a dying wish", doubling down on his previous disparaging remarks about Haiti.
According to reports, the HIV prevalence rate among Haitian adults stands at 1.9%. However, it is steadily improving.
Donald Trump, former President, slammed Haitian immigrants seeking to enter the US. He claimed that hundreds of thousands were "flowing in" as well as "probably have AIDS," echoing his disparaging comments about Haiti during his presidency.
Trump spoke to Fox News host Sean Hannity Thursday evening and stated that allowing Haitians to enter the US would be "like a death wish" for his country.
He likely meant the thousands of Haitian migrants and refugees seeking asylum at the US Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas. Many fled Haiti after the destruction of Haiti's country by two devastating earthquakes and after President Jovenel Moe was assassinated in August.
Trump claimed repeatedly that Haitians who tried to enter the US from Haiti were infected by AIDS during his Fox News appearance.
"Haiti is plagued by AIDS," he said. Hannity was told by he that AIDS is a serious problem. "So, hundreds of thousands are coming into our nation. Look at the statistics and the numbers to see what's going on in Haiti. AIDS is a huge problem."
According to the United Nations, the HIV prevalence among Haitians aged between 15 and 49 years old is only 1.9%. This contradicts his claims. Despite being higher than the global rate at 0.7%, reports indicate that Haiti's HIV prevalence has decreased significantly over recent decades.
The 1980s saw Haitians as a high-risk group for AIDS. This false perception wiped out Haiti's tourism industry, and perpetuated racism.
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Trump has previously made similar claims. According to The New York Times, Trump claimed that 15,000 Haitian immigrants granted US visas had AIDS in 2017, at a White House meeting. The White House refuted that he said those words.
According to The Washington Post, Trump later called Haiti a "shithole country" when he spoke about the protection of immigrant immigrants in 2018. The White House did not deny Trump made these remarks. Trump later tweeted that the meeting was full of "tough" language.
Business Insider has the original article.
