By Ted Hesson
WASHINGTON, Dec 18 (Reuters) – White South Africans coming to the U.S. as refugees could get a biography of President Donald Trump for children as part of a welcome packet proposed last week by an administration official, emails reviewed by Reuters showed.
The book – “Donald Trump Biography for Kids: An Inspirational Story of One of America’s Most Famous Presidents” – was suggested by Fred Cooper, a Trump appointee serving as deputy assistant secretary in a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, according to a December 8 internal email reviewed by Reuters.
The 89-page biography, designed for children ages 8 to 12, portrays the Republican president as an inspirational figure whose life “is a masterclass in determination, resilience, confidence, and dreaming big.”
Cooper also suggested the welcome packet include a biography of Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president. Trump has praised Jackson, a fellow populist, although Jackson has faced historical criticism for owning slaves and driving Native Americans from their lands.
“I imagine these books wouldn’t be an issue?” Cooper said in the email, linking to the Trump and Jackson biographies. The email did not say what the U.S. government might pay for the biographies.
HHS and Cooper did not respond to requests for comment.
The planned welcome packet, if finalized, would support Trump’s effort to bring thousands of white South Africans to the U.S. as refugees. The program has provoked backlash from the South African government and refugee groups.
Trump froze refugee admissions from around the world after taking office in January but weeks later launched an effort to bring in European-descended Afrikaners from majority-Black South Africa. Trump has said these people were victims of race-based violence and discrimination, claims the South African government strongly denies.
On Wednesday, South African authorities said they would deport Kenyans who were contracted to work on the U.S. refugee program, saying they were using improper visas.
Refugees in the past have received materials explaining U.S. history and culture, but they do not normally promote specific presidents or ideologies, three veteran refugee workers said.
The Trump biography recounts his childhood in New York City and successes and failures as a businessman, including the bankruptcy of his lavish Taj Mahal casino and hotel in Atlantic City.
The book includes prominent moments from Trump’s 2017-2021 presidency, from construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border to efforts to combat COVID-19.
In a chapter entitled “Challenges and Controversies,” it broaches Trump’s two impeachments by the U.S. House of Representatives, including his message to supporters to “fight like hell” before they stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
“The events of January 6 and the subsequent impeachment trial were among the most contentious moments of Donald’s presidency, sparking debates about accountability, free speech, and the future of American democracy,” it reads.
The book is published by EverNest Press, whose only online presence Reuters could find was on Amazon, with no available contact information. EverNest Press is also listed as the author. Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Cooper also proposed the welcome packet include “The 1776 Report,” published in January 2021 as Trump ended his first term in office. The report, the product of a presidential commission convened by Trump, criticizes policies that promote diversity.
The HHS official also recommended including a report on religious freedom by the Family Research Council, a conservative group. That report highlights legal battles by American business people who refused to serve same-sex couples, including a Colorado baker who won a case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018.
(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Additional reporting by Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by David Gregorio)
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