With the US presidential elections less than four days away, Haitians continue to be the target of racist attacks by MAGA Republicans.
After Donald Trump, JD Vance and Elon Musk, among others, it’s now Rudy Giuliani’s turn to hurl racist insults at Haitian immigrants in the United States.
Speaking on the “Flyover Conservatives” podcast, Mr. Giuliani claimed that Haitian immigrants living legally in Springfield, Ohio, “shouldn’t have been taken out of the jungle”.
These comments quickly drew criticism, with many calling them racist and offensive.
On the podcast, Giuliani admitted that some of the claims made by Trump and his political ally JD Vance – including a false allegation that Haitian immigrants were eating Springfield residents’ pets – “may not have been true”, but that they nonetheless served to highlight the problems associated with immigration.
This approach of using inflammatory statements to stir up concern has raised ethical questions about the rhetoric used by some political figures to talk about immigrant communities.
Giuliani went further, claiming to understand the Haitian community thanks to his experience “in negotiations with Haiti when I worked for Ronald Reagan”.
Referring vaguely to policies similar to “staying in Mexico”, he painted a general and unflattering picture of Haitian immigrants, associating them with stereotypes and cultural misunderstandings, including references to animal sacrifices in voodoo practices.
His most controversial remarks, however, came when he suggested that Haitian immigrants “lived 200 years ago” and that it was unwise to resettle them in American communities. Giuliani said, “We shouldn’t have taken them out of the jungle and put them in the middle of a small American town. It’s ridiculous. Or in a big American city, for that matter. These people are crazy, what they’re doing. They’re crazy.” This statement, which suggests that Haitian immigrants are somehow “primitive” or have no place in American society, was quickly picked up and shared by Kamala Harris ‘s presidential campaign on social networks.
Mr. Giuliani’s comments provoked strong reactions, particularly from those who defend immigrant communities. His choice of words reflects a troubling rhetoric that many believe fuels negative stereotypes about immigrant populations, particularly those from Haiti and other developing countries. Not only do these statements insult Haitian immigrants, they also perpetuate harmful misconceptions about their culture and way of life.
While the immigration debate remains a central issue in American politics, Haitians in the U.S. are among the immigrant groups most attacked by Donald Trump’s supporters, with false allegations invented to “draw the attention of the American people to the problems of immigration in the United States”.
In an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash, the Republican vice-presidential candidate admitted to inventing accusations about Haitians in Springfield, Ohio.
For many observers, the Republicans’ relentless attack on the Haitians goes beyond a simple electoral agenda. According to them, the Haitian people continue to pay for having dared and succeeded in taking their independence by force of arms in 1804. The feat of 1804 upsets white supremacy in the United States and other Western countries.