President Trump bungled basic geography on Wednesday, confusing South Africa with South America during a rant about communism.
The 79-year-old president said he sympathized with the citizens of Miami for having to take in so many migrants fleeing the “communist tyranny” of “South Africa.”
“For generations, Miami has been a haven for those fleeing communist tyranny in South Africa,” said Trump at the American Business Forum in Miami. “If you take a look at what is going on in parts of South Africa. Look at what is going on in South Africa. Look at South America, what’s going on. We have a G20 meeting in South Africa. South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore.”
South Africa has never had a communist government. There are 805 South African residents in Miami, according to Neilsberg, making up 0.03% of the city’s population.
Trump likely meant that Miami’s migrants were fleeing “communist tyranny” from South America, not South Africa. Miami has a large South American population, and in particular, many Cuban families in the city initially immigrated to Miami to escape the communist Castro regime. Other South American countries, such as Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, have previously had socialist governments.
Trump almost appeared to acknowledge he misspoke when he pivoted in his rant on “South Africa” to say “Look at South America.” However, Trump went right back to slamming South Africa, saying the U.S. would not be attending the country’s G20 summit of world leaders in Johannesburg later this month.
South Africa may have been on the top of the president’s mind after his administration announced Thursday it would be drastically reducing the number of refugees it takes in while prioritizing white South Africans. The country has also drawn Trump’s ire before. The president has baselessly claimed that white South African farmers are facing “genocide” in the country.
MeidasTouch Editor in Chief Ron Filipkowski theorized on X that Trump misread “South America” on his teleprompter—but rather than admit a mistake, Trump launched into an unnecessary digression on South Africa.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment.
The gaffe comes amid increased speculation about Trump’s mental and physical fitness. On Oct. 10, he received a cognitive assessment to screen for signs of dementia at Walter Reed Medical Center. The test, which Trump falsely described as an “IQ test,” features such questions as “draw a clock.”
Trump also received an MRI at Walter Reed for reasons the White House is refusing to reveal.
Meanwhile, Trump has ordered investigations into President Joe Biden’s alleged use of an autopen, which he has said concealed signs of Biden’s “cognitive decline.”
