Trump has the world in a tailspin

March 5, 2025 16

With just six weeks in office, US President Donald Trump has the world on its toes.

Trump started off his second term with a bang, from signing over 200 executive orders to withdrawing from organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) amongst others, to cutting foreign aid across the world, leaving countries scrambling about what their next move will be.

He has reversed the course of US policy towards Ukraine and has even gone to the extent of starting a tariff war after imposing hefty tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China.

South Africa has not been spared from Trump’s rampage.

It is among the countries that were benefitting from the $2 billion USAID foreign aid, which bolstered Pretoria’s HIV/AIDS and TB programmes.

South Africa is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Pepfar, which contributes about 17% to its HIV/Aids programme, in which about 5.5 million people living with HIV receive ARVs.

Despite this, however, government has made provisions for some programmes to continue running until September.

It is now in consultation with affected NGOs as efforts are being made to source more funding.

However, there’s a silver lining on the horizon after the Supreme Court in the US today ordered Trump to unfreeze the money so that USAID can pay foreign assistance groups amid his attempts to dismantle the 60-year-old organisation.

Trump’s actions have been criticised by many, while some Americans – mostly the Republicans – believe that he will return the US to its former glory.

Yesterday, Trump addressed Congress for the first in his new term.

The almost two-hour address, branded as the longest speech to Congress ever, drew applause from his Reblican comrades while the Democrats had placards in protest – reading: “No King” and “Save Medicaid”, amongst others.

Others turned their backs while he spoke, even leaving before he finished his address.

One of Trump’s critics, Senator Bernie Sanders, was among those who left halfway through the address.

He slammed the 78-year-old US President, during his own address, as seen in the video below.

One lawmaker, 77-year-old Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from Texas, was eventually taken out of the chambers by security because he refused to stop heckling and shaking his walking stick at the President.

Trump on the other hand poked some fun at the landlocked country of Lesotho, saying nobody has ever heard of it.

He was defending his sweeping cuts in aid, revealing that the US sends eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the mountainous nation.

South Africa’s neighboring country has responded, expressing shock at Trump’s comment.

The country’s tourism has now invited the American President to visit the country and familiarise himself with the “The Kingdom in the Sky”.

Greetings Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, we can’t wait to have you in LESOTHO!😎😜🇱🇸❤️#VisitLesotho #ExperienceElevation #KeLapeng pic.twitter.com/fax0l7eg6G

— Lesotho Tourism (@visitlesotho) March 5, 2025

Donald Trump mocking the country of Lesotho as a none existent country doesn’t come as a surprise, he is a racist like AFRIFORUM he undermines AFRICA as a whole, but what’s appalling are members of Republicans being amused by what he said about Lesotho.. USA is led by lunatics.

— Tebza_FS🇿🇦🇵🇸 (@FsTebza) March 5, 2025

It is tempting to take Donald Trump seriously. Don’t. When he said that no one knows that country Lesotho he was simply revealing his ignorance and by extension that, “no one has heard of it” because he doesn’t know of it. It is who he is.

— KaraboM 🇿🇦🎶☠️ (@karabomophiring) March 5, 2025

Donald Trump is focused on Africa,he might aswell relocate to Orania. | Lesotho | AFriforum | AGOA pic.twitter.com/9Oyx2uubC0

— Paulvin Webster (@paulvin_webster) March 5, 2025