President Donald Trump shared a late-night Thanksgiving message on Thursday in which he harshly criticized Americans whom he said had allowed the United States “to be divided, disrupted, carved up” over immigration.
In the same series of posts, he said he would “permanently pause” immigration from all “Third World” countries and pledged to remove anyone he does not consider a “net asset” to the United States.
Why it matters
The comments followed the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, allegedly by a gunman from Afghanistan. The incident has renewed debate over immigrant vetting and national security, and Trump has moved quickly to link the case to his broader immigration agenda.
He has argued that the episode underscores what he sees as systemic failures in current immigration policies, an issue that remains central to his second term in the White House.
Critics warn that his sweeping condemnation of some immigrants and potential new bans could upend the lives of countless would-be migrants and their families. Supporters, meanwhile, see the moves as proof that he is delivering on promises to sharply restrict immigration and inspire similar hard-line policies in other Western countries.
What he said
In his late-night Truth Social post, written at around 11:30 p.m. ET, Trump delivered an aggressive Thanksgiving message:
“A very Happy Thanksgiving salutation to all of our Great American Citizens and Patriots who have been so nice in allowing our Country to be divided, disrupted, carved up, murdered, beaten, mugged, and laughed at, along with certain other foolish countries throughout the World, for being ‘Politically Correct,’ and just plain STUPID, when it comes to Immigration,” he wrote.
The tone marked a sharp contrast with the formal Thanksgiving proclamation he had issued earlier in the day, which focused on unity, gratitude to God and reflection on American history.
Trump claimed the official U.S. “foreign population” stands at 53 million people, “most of which are on welfare, from failed nations, or from prisons, mental institutions, gangs, or drug cartels.”
“They and their children are supported through massive payments from Patriotic American Citizens who, because of their beautiful hearts, do not want to openly complain or cause trouble in any way, shape, or form,” he continued. “They put up with what has happened to our Country, but it’s eating them alive to do so!”
He went on to argue that “this refugee burden is the leading cause of social dysfunction in America,” listing what he described as its consequences: “Failed schools, high crime, urban decay, overcrowded hospitals, housing shortages, and large deficits, etc.,” and claiming this “did not exist after World War II.”
Trump also attacked Democrats, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, whom he insulted with an ableist slur, saying the governor “does nothing, either through fear, incompetence, or both.” Newsweek contacted Walz’s office for comment by email outside of business hours.
New pledge on immigration
In a separate Truth Social post, Trump announced a proposed halt on immigration from what he called the “Third World,” and blamed former President Joe Biden’s administration for what he described as uncontrolled migration.
“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the U.S. system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States, or is incapable of loving our Country,” he said.
Supporters argue that Trump has a mandate from voters to crack down on illegal and dangerous immigration and emphasize that the U.S., like any country, has the right to enforce strict border controls.
How he framed the next steps
Trump added on Truth Social: “These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations, including those admitted through an unauthorized and illegal Autopen approval process. Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation. Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”
What happens next
Any attempt to impose a sweeping ban on immigrants from developing nations would almost certainly face immediate court challenges, just as Trump’s 2017 order restricting entry from several majority-Muslim countries did. Legal and political battles over the scope of presidential power on immigration are likely to intensify if he seeks to implement the new proposals.
