MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump alienating the great nation of Kenya and providing an opening for China President Xi Jinping. Fast Growing Trees: Get 15% OFF your first purchase at https://fastgrowingtrees.com/meidas when you use code: MEIDAS at checkout! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What is the impact of Donald Trump's policies on Africa?
All throughout Africa and East Africa is no exception. The countries on the continent are pissed at Donald Trump. They believe that Trump is blowing up the world order and all of the goodwill that former President Biden helped establish in various African nations, Donald Trump has wiped out instantly. And you know who has prounced on that? Xi Jinping of China.
Should be noted that Africa is one of the fastest growing digital continents in the United States, probably the fastest growing digital continent. A lot of big business growing there. And it's important that we invest in Africa. If you take a look in East Africa, for example, in the Republic of Kenya, which now has the largest economy in East Africa, about 131.67 billion.
So about what, four or five times the GDP of El Salvador, which Donald Trump loves so much there. The Kenyan President William Ruto basically said that Trump has just created a death blow to the current world order. A death blow, he said.
And then shortly after making those remarks as Donald Trump tariffed the world, President Ruto of the Republic of Kenya took a state visit to China to meet with Xi Jinping. So as Donald Trump has been lying this whole week and faking having conversations with Xi Jinping, further humiliating the United States. We know what Xi Jinping was doing.
He was giving a state welcome, a big celebratory visit to the leader of Kenya, President Ruto. It should be noted how strategically smart former President Biden was right here. So who was the ambassador to the Republic of Kenya under former President Biden's administration? It was Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay and HP.
And it was a very strong and powerful showing by former President Biden that he was committed not just to the Republic of Kenya, but also to the entire continent in Africa, and that it was an important priority for him to invest in Africa. Now, we know that China has sought this foothold in Africa through their Belt and Road or their Bridge and Road initiatives.
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Chapter 2: How is Kenya's President William Ruto responding to Trump's actions?
the new Silk Road where they've spent billions in different African nations. They've helped build government buildings. They've helped build highways there because they understand the strategic importance of Africa to China and building goodwill and what that could ultimately do. They have strong power. They have soft power.
A lot of what the United States was doing also with USAID, which Trump and Elon Musk gutted, was kind of similar in trying to help out African nations and show solidarity with countries. So let me show you what went down. As I mentioned, President William Ruto of Kenya, after saying that Trump issued a death blow to the world order, he meets with Xi Jinping. He goes to China. He's in Beijing.
He thanks Xi Jinping for the tens of millions of dollars in support for health. education, and disaster relief, as well as for the planned construction of a new complex for Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
And by the way, you take a look at Ruto's background, you would think that he would be someone who Donald Trump would try to cultivate, an evangelical Christian from a modest background who was elected on promises to help Kenya's poor in a country that was struggling with debt. Think about this. You've seen my reporting from this past week.
Donald Trump has denied emergency aid to red states like Arkansas, to Kentucky, to Georgia for like debris removal, things caused by flooding, tornadoes, Hurricane Helene, North Carolina. Donald Trump stopped emergency relief. China is giving emergency disaster relief to Kenya, not just Kenya. across the world. Why? They also want Kenya to join the BRICS bloc.
And China is making their play right now. And they also uniquely understand that Africa in general is the fastest growing digital continent. And in under 100 days, Trump has just totally destroyed America's presence there. Let me show you what went down when you had President Ruto of Kenya show up at the state visit in China this past week. Let me just show you what it looks like. Play this clip.
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Chapter 3: Why is China's President Xi Jinping gaining influence in Africa?
Chapter 4: What role did former President Biden play in US-Africa relations?
Donald Trump has denied emergency aid to red states like Arkansas, to Kentucky, to Georgia for like debris removal, things caused by flooding, tornadoes, Hurricane Helene, North Carolina. Donald Trump stopped emergency relief. China is giving emergency disaster relief to Kenya, not just Kenya. across the world. Why? They also want Kenya to join the BRICS bloc.
And China is making their play right now. And they also uniquely understand that Africa in general is the fastest growing digital continent. And in under 100 days, Trump has just totally destroyed America's presence there. Let me show you what went down when you had President Ruto of Kenya show up at the state visit in China this past week. Let me just show you what it looks like. Play this clip.
Here's how France 24 correspondent talks about it. Let's play this clip.
On Tuesday, Kenya's President William Ruto arrived in Beijing for talks aimed at increasing investment and trade. China is already Kenya's biggest lender. They funded massive road, railway and power projects. Ruto is hoping to expand that partnership, especially in the manufacturing and digital infrastructure sectors.
So in contrast, let me just share with you how Donald Trump just talks about Africa in general, how he just overgeneralizes Africa and how he makes just the discussions of African nations like into a joke. So I just showed you that. This was Donald Trump from the joint address he gave to Congress. Play this clip.
Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI plus in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of.
Here's what Donald Trump said about Congo in the Oval Office over the past few weeks. But I'll just show you this one clip. But he says this over and over again. Play this clip.
All over the world, the Congo and Africa. Many, many people come from the Congo. I don't know what that is, but they came from the Congo and all over the world.
And then Donald Trump posted this on Friday. Big news coming out of Africa, where I am also involved in settling violent wars and conflicts. I don't know why so many of these events have fallen to me and my administration, but they have. And we have done an unprecedented job in getting them settled or putting them in a position for peace.
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Chapter 5: How does Donald Trump publicly discuss African nations?
Chapter 6: What recent diplomatic events highlight China-Kenya relations?
Um, as Donald Trump, uh, continues to demean African nations, you know, Donald Trump has said horrible things about South Africa. He and Elon Musk, um, have just said, you know, the, the, the worst things about the, the government, their imaginable executive orders about South Africa. Um, The European Union Commission and European Union leaders have stepped up and they also see U.S.
weakness under Trump. And so they've talked about we like diversity. We're for you. We're with you. Watch what they put together in the European Union Commission and European leaders play this clip.
Sunny, good morning and Johnny. Today we have a joint event by the EU, France, Italy and Germany, and we have many parallels between the European Union and South Africa.
Like you, we are committed to multilateralism, rule-based international order, and more equity and justice in the world. Just like you, we love our constitutional rights and protections, and we do believe in a non-racial, non-sexist democracy.
Like you, we pursue the values of solidarity, equality, and sustainability. As South Africa's most important trading partner, investment partner, and partner in values, you can rely on the European Union and its member states during G20 presidency, within 2025, and beyond.
United in diversity, or as they say, play, it's not a play.
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Chapter 7: How are other global powers reacting to US weakness under Trump?
Many Americans and many people around the world watched with great hope as hundreds of thousands of Kenyans came together, raised a new flag, declared their freedom, and gave life to a new nation. It was a moment that forever connected our two nations. Together, The United States and Kenya are working to deliver on the challenges that matter most to our people's lives.
Health security, economic security, cybersecurity, and climate security. Across the region, Kenya and America are driving a race to the top with investments that we have and high standards for workers, technology, and environment. The past is our proof that we are stronger and the world is safer when Kenya and the United States work together.
And then from that state visit that former President Biden gave to President Ruto, he said, Today I am optimistic and hopeful as I was all those years ago when Kenyan patriots raised a new flag high into the midnight sky. Kenya and the United States stand together, committed to each other, committed to our people, and committed to building a better world.
Meg Whitman, what an incredible ambassador to have in Kenya, given her background. And why is she a perfect fit? Because in Kenya, entrepreneurial spirit, building business. I know Donald Trump thinks Africa is all war and conflict, but entrepreneurial spirit, digital expanding economy, growth. semiconductor chips, AI. There's a lot to do there and a lot that China is trying to do.
So former President Biden's playing the geopolitical game and having an entrepreneur like Meg Whitman, like an all-star. She explains how she was picked to be the ambassador. She goes, Joe Biden called me and said, hey, Meg, I want you to be an ambassador. And before I can say anything, he said, I want you to go to Kenya. I said, Kenya? I was thinking France.
But she then goes on to talk about why it was so important. Here's just a small portion of Meg Whitman's Honorable Margaret Whitman. She goes by Meg. Her quick interview that she gave recently at the Princeton School of Public International Affairs. Play this clip.
So I became convinced that the number one thing I could add value as non-career diplomat is jobs, jobs, jobs and attracting foreign direct investment and helping to shape the economic investment climate so Kenyan firms could grow and thrive.
so we work together on what changes from a legal and regulatory standpoint would help country companies and then how do you change the narrative on africa and kenya i know that when i was at hp and ebay i thought about africa one percent of the time yeah yeah yeah i got it but i got things going on in europe and latin america and asia and africa is a really long way away
And I think the narrative among most business people in America is 30 or 40 years old. They don't understand the economic situation. They don't understand the demographics and they don't understand the potential of many of the countries in Africa. So the very first thing we had to do was to start off by changing the narrative.
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