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Newsweek
3 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
How Countries on Trump's Travel Ban List Have Responded
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump issued an order on Wednesday banning travel from 12 countries and implementing partial restrictions on people from an additional seven. The countries impacted by the order have started responding, with Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello accusing the Trump administration of being "supremacists." But Somalia's ambassador to the U.S. said the country remained "ready to engage in dialogue." Demonstrators protesting Trump's travel ban that he issued during his first term in June 2017. Demonstrators protesting Trump's travel ban that he issued during his first term in June 2017. AP The Context Trump announced on Wednesday that travel will be fully restricted for people from 12 nations: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. He added that people from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will face partial restrictions. Trump said the move is to "protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats." He cited the recent attack in Boulder, Colorado, targeting a group advocating for the release of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas. Egyptian national Mohamed Sabry Soliman, 45, is facing attempted murder and federal hate crime charges related to the attack. What To Know Somalia In its order, the White House said: "Somalia stands apart from other countries in the degree to which its government lacks command and control of its territory... The U.S. Government has identified Somalia as a terrorist safe haven." Somali ambassador to the U.S., Dahir Hassan Abdi, said in response: "Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised." Venezuela The White House said that Venezuela "does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures" and it "has historically refused to accept back its removable nationals." The country's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello hit back, accusing the Trump administration of "fascism." "Being in the United States is a great risk for anyone, not just for Venezuelans," he said. "The people who govern the United States are bad people - it's fascism, they are supremacists who think they own the world and persecute our people for no reason." What People Are Saying Trump said in a video address: "The recent terror attack in Boulder, Colorado, has underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country, by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don't want them." The Afghan-American Foundation said in a statement: "This new travel ban doesn't just block visas — it blocks families, breaks promises, and betrays those who stood with the U.S. in Afghanistan. You can't say Afghanistan is 'safe' and also label the Taliban terrorists." Renata Segura, director of the Latin America and Caribbean program at the International Crisis Group, said: "Haitians as a group have not exerted any kind of violence... To accuse [Haitians] in some way of being violent people is completely unrealistic, and also so, so terribly unfair for a country that is going through the crisis that Haiti is living right now." What Happens Next Trump said that the list of countries is "subject to revision based on whether material improvements are made." He added that further countries could be added "as threats emerge around the world."
Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Ernie Els and Retief Goosen's Trump Visit Sparks Backlash—'Quite Troubling'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to his White House meeting with Donald Trump but there has been some backlash to what they said there. Trump had asked Ramaphosa to bring along the sportsmen for the Oval Office meeting on Wednesday and while many South Africans praised Els and Goosen for voicing their concerns about violence in the country, others spoke out against them. Newsweek has contact Els and Goosen, via email, for comment. South African businessman Johann Rupert, left, and South African golfers Retief Goosen, center, and Ernie Els, right, look on as President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the... South African businessman Johann Rupert, left, and South African golfers Retief Goosen, center, and Ernie Els, right, look on as President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. More AP The Context The hope was that Els and Goosen—two Afrikaaner golfers who have eight major championship wins between them—would help to woo Trump, a keen golfer who owns two golf courses. "If there was Afrikaaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here," Ramaphosa said referring to Els, Goosen and South African billionaire Johann Rupert. The genocide comment referred to claims about attacks on white farmers in South Africa. However, some South Africans feel the golfers "didn't do much good," posting their criticism on social media. Els said he was a proud South African and acknowledged Ramaphosa's role in the anti-apartheid struggle, before going on to say: "I know there's a lot of anger through the transition—there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right." He went on to say later: "I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally—the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen detailed his life in the farmland area of Polokwane and said that while his family "live a great life despite everything going on," they have been attacked. "They're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer," he added. The Backlash Matšhela Koko, a former executive at Eskom, South Africa's state-owned electricity utility, wrote on X: "Ernie Els expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for the United States' support of South Africa during the conflict in Angola. This situation is quite troubling. These people still miss Apartheid South Africa." Ernie Els expressed his gratitude to Donald Trump for the United States' support of South Africa during the conflict in Angola. During the battle of Cuito Cuanavale, apartheid South Africa was involved in a frontline war against the Cuban forces fighting alongside the FAPLA of… — Engineer Matšhela Koko, MBL (@koko_matshela) May 21, 2025 South Africa's apartheid regime got involved in the Angolan Civil War—a Cold War proxy conflict that erupted after Angola gained independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975—to fight the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola, a Marxist party. While America did not deploy its own forces alongside apartheid South Africa, it did provide support that bolstered the country's intervention. Several other South Africans referenced Els' nod to this relationship in their critiques, including writer Sizwe Sikamusi, who said: "Ernie Els made this clear when [he] thanked Donald Trump for the United States 'helping' the Apartheid regime in Angola. By doing this, Els revealed the persistence of a parallel Afrikaner consciousness that remembers Apartheid not with shame, but with pride and nostalgia." "For Els to thank the US for Angola is to openly align with the Apartheid regime's logic and to see that period not as a shameful episode of regional imperialism, but as a proud moment of Western solidarity and military action," Sikamusi added. While Black South Africans are often urged to 'move on,' 'focus on the future,' or 'stop living in the past,' White South Africans, particularly within the Afrikaner establishment, continue to carry, revere, and even celebrate their past. Ernie Els made this clear when thanked… — sizwe sikamusi (@SizweLo) May 22, 2025 He also said: "While Black South Africans are often urged to 'move on,' 'focus on the future,' or 'stop living in the past,' White South Africans, particularly within the Afrikaner establishment, continue to carry, revere, and even celebrate their past." Entrepreneur Lynette Engelbrecht wrote: "The golfers were there by Trump's request so of course they didn't do us much good." Writer and media figure Mvelase Peppetta said: "Ernie Els waxing about the good old days of the Border Wars in the Oval Office is why I never 100% trust a white person." "There are so many nice things he could've said about U.S./SA relations & he chooses to go back to when the U.S.A was supporting the apartheid regime," said the activist, who is followed on X by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the party featured in most of the four-minute video Trump played during the meeting showing its leader, Julius Malema chanting "kill the Boer." Newsweek has broken down the history and legal context of the controversial phrase, which has recently been deliberated on in a South African court. In 2022 the Equality Court of South Africa ruled that the chant does not constitute hate speech. Malema argued that the chant was not literal, rather that it was "directed at the system of oppression." EFF fan Rushé Cawa took aim at Goosen, writing on X: "I never want to see Retief Goosen in this country again." The EFF and Malema have repeatedly criticized the South African delegation that visited Washington, saying South Africa had been "embarrassed" and calling the meeting an "interaction dominated by white privileged men, who have amassed wealth at the expense of African people." Sihle Lonzi, the head of the EFF's Students' Command, posted a photo of Els, Goosen and Rupert, saying: "Cyril Ramaphosa has surrendered South Africa's Foreign Policy to these three Golfers! Johann Rupert, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen." Although Rupert is not a golfer he serves as chairman of the South African PGA Tour and chairman of the South African Golf Development Board. South African Support For Ernie Els and Retief Goosen Not all South Africans agreed with the criticism of the golfers. Katia Beeden, a campaigner for "persecuted minority South Africans" and spokesperson for Amerikaners, a group that supports "disenfranchised South Africans seeking a new future in the United States" praised how the meeting went. "It was very intense, and I think it was very brave, and necessary, and it was the first time ever the ANC and Cyril Ramaposa have been called out for their crimes," she told Newsweek. "So, yeah, I am absolutely delighted that the rot and the corruption and the death has been called out and exposed for the world to see. And let's hope that it's going to bring out positive change," she added. Volkstaat, an account advocating for "independence and freedom for Afrikaaners," wrote on X: "This is pure gold. Ramaphosa brought two white Pro golfers (Retief Goosen and one other) to show there's no systemic genocide of whites. This backfired when Retief told everyone his dad's farmer friends were murdered." This is pure gold. Ramaphosa brought two white Pro golfers (Retief Goosen and one other) to show there's no systemic genocide of whites. This backfired when Retief told everyone his dad's farmer friends were murdered. — Volkstaat (@Volkstaat10) May 22, 2025 Gilbert Martin, the founder of the group We Are South Africans (the largest independent civil-society movement in South Africa), thanked Els, Goosen and the others present at the White House in a Facebook post praising the meeting. "Did anyone notice that during the media briefing between South Africa and the United States, not just one but our entire government, including the official ruling party, opposition, ministers, organized labour, sportspeople, and big business, were all present in the White House Media Room," he said. "They openly discussed our many pressing issues, with each of them speaking honestly about the concerns raised by the United States." What Did Ernie Els and Retief Goosen Say In Full? Els said: "We proud South Africans. I still have my South African passport. We travel with these passport and I got my visa here. So we wanna see things get better in our home country, that's the bottom line. "It's been 35 years since the transition. President Ramaphosa was in the middle of the transition at the time, in 1990, and before that. So it's been 35 years of ANC government and I know there's a lot of anger through the transition – there was a lot of stuff happening in the apartheid days. You know we grew up in the apartheid era, but I don't think two wrongs makes a right. "You know, President Mandela, when he came out of prison for all that time, didn't come out with hatred, you know, and really unified our nation through sport. You know we won the Rugby World Cup in '95." He went on: "We won the African Nations Cup in soccer, you know we've won some majors as golfers and so forth. So what I'm trying to say is – this has been a long time coming. That's why we really wanted to meet you, meet the administration and see our way forward, because we still want see our country flourish. You know, we've got so many great things going on – businesses getting involved with government, farming, farmers are getting involved in local municipalities trying to rebuild some of the infrastructure that's been decaying for a long time. So there's a lot of co-existence going on and help from a lot of areas. But we need – I feel we need the U.S. to push this thing through. We've got a great ally – the U.S. has always been an ally of South Africa for a very long time, even in the days of the war in Angola, you know you guys helped us. So, very important for us to have your support and get the change we need." Goosen said: "I grew up in an area in South Africa that is a farmland area – Polekwane – and there is some issues up there, obviously. My dad was a property developer as well as part-time farmer and yeah, some of his buddy farmers got killed. The farm is still going, my brothers run it. But that's a constant battle with farms trying to get – they're trying to burn the farms down to chase you away, so it is a concern to try and make a living as a farmer. And, at the end of the way, you know, without farmers, there's no food on the plate. So we need the farmers. "You know, food and fresh water is the most important thing in life. Without those two things, you can't survive." Trump then asked: "Your family and your brothers—do they feel safe on the farm?" Goosen answered: "They live behind electric fences you know, tryna be at night safe. But it is constant, whenever you leave, that something could happen. Both of them have been attacked in their houses, my mom's been attacked... It is difficult but you know the guys live a great life despite everything going on."
Newsweek
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Calling Qataris 'Funders of Terrorism' Resurfaces Amid Jet Fury
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. President Donald Trump is under fire, including from some of his supporters, for saying he plans to accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar as a temporary replacement for Air Force One—a gesture of goodwill that marks a sharp contrast to his own past characterization of the Gulf nation as a sponsor of terrorism. A 2017 clip resurfaced on social media showing Trump publicly accusing Qatar of financing terrorism "at a very high level," just as he publicly said he was planning to accept a Boeing 747-8 aircraft from the Qatari royal family. The jetliner would be the most expensive gift ever given to a sitting American president, by far. President Donald Trump with Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, speaks during their joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday, June 9, 2017. President Donald Trump with Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, speaks during their joint news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Friday, June 9, 2017. AP The Context The jet, described as a gold-plated "flying palace," is intended for use during ongoing delays in the construction of the next-generation Air Force One and will eventually be decommissioned and donated to Trump's presidential library, the president said. Qatari officials said the plane was being given by the Qatari Ministry of Defense to the Pentagon. However, the $400 million gift has drawn legal and ethical scrutiny, with critics arguing that it could violate constitutional gift rules and that it could amount to foreign influence. What To Know The resurfaced clip shows Trump, during a 2017 press conference with then-Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, criticizing Qatar over the Saudi-led blockade—a stance that now contradicts his current praise for the country's leadership. "The nation of Qatar has, unfortunately, been a funder of terrorism at a very high level," he added. "We have to stop the funding of terrorists... They have to end that funding," said the president from the White House lawn. Donald Trump in 2017: Qatar has been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. Today: Accepts a $400 million jet from Qatar, praises its leadership, and is set to visit it as one of the first countries in his second term while his family builds a luxury golf resort there.… — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) May 13, 2025 At the time, Trump aligned with Saudi Arabia and the UAE in their pressure campaign against Qatar, a country that also hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East. President Trump backed the blockade, tweeting that it might mark "the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism," and accused Qatar of funding extremism for its close ties with Iran. During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017 Later in 2017, the Trump administration's tone toward Qatar began to moderate. Then-secretary of State Rex Tillerson tried to mediate the Gulf dispute, and the U.S. praised Qatar's efforts to combat terrorism financing after it signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Treasury in July 2017. By the end of the year, Trump had also spoken by phone with the emir of Qatar. Now, as Trump is well into his second term and preparing to visit Qatar as the next stop on his Middle East tour, he is defending his acceptance of the jet, attempting to frame the gift as a benefit to the American taxpayer rather than a personal gain. "This was just a gesture of good faith," Trump said. "We give free things out. We'll take one too, and it helps us out. Because, again, we're talking about—we have 40-year-old aircraft," he added, referencing the current aging Air Force One fleet. Yet, apart from the expected backlash from Democrats, some Republicans and MAGA figures have expressed concerns about the deal and have urged the president to reject the gift. Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro stood against "taking sacks of goodies from people who support Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Al Jazeera," while activist Laura Loomer called it "concerning." What People Are Saying President Donald Trump responded to criticism on Truth Social: "So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40-year-old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA." Laura Loomer, a conservative activist and Trump supporter, wrote in a Sunday X post: "I love President Trump. I would take a bullet for him. But, I have to call a spade a spade. We cannot accept a $400 million 'gift' from jihadists in suits." What Happens Next The White House confirmed that the jet would be donated to the U.S. Department of Defense and not to Trump directly. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement, "Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump's administration is committed to full transparency."
