The first group of white South African refugees step from a "people mover" upon arrival at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
One of the first white South African refugees welcomed to the United States by the Trump administration this week has been tied to social media accounts that spewed antisemitic comments, according to a report.
President Donald Trump's administration welcomed a group of 59 Afrikaners to the United States this month. The move was part of a new White House policy that prioritized the resettlement of white South Africans, primarily Afrikaners, citing fears of racial discrimination and violence against them in South Africa.
The first arrivals were greeted at Dulles Airport by senior U.S. officials, including Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who publicly welcomed them.
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Among that group was Charl Kleinhaus, 46, formerly of Limpopo, South Africa, who traveled to Buffalo, New York, with his family, The New York Times reported Wednesday night.
“We just packed our bags and left,” Kleinhaus said after landing, citing “safety reasons."
But the Times flagged antisemitic tweets by an X account sharing Kleinhaus' name, and which self-describes as an Afrikaner. In April 2023, the account @charlkleinhaus posted — and later deleted — that Jews were “untrustworthy,” “a dangerous group” and that “they are not Gods chosen like they believe they are.”
Kleinhaus confirmed to The Bulwark that the account belonged to him.
The same account praised Trump and called for attacking an American citizen, according to the report.
In October 2023, the account also shared a clip of Christians clashing with police in Israel and captioned the video “Jews attacking Christians!” The video was posted on a Facebook account called “Israel is a terrorist state.”