US President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a sweeping directive barring visa approvals for grossly obese applicants from Nigeria and beyond, arguing their potential medical burdens could drain American healthcare resources in a provocative escalation of his administration’s immigration crackdown.
The executive order, blasted across Trump’s Truth Social platform, targets individuals with severe weight-related ailments like diabetes, heart disease and respiratory issues, mandating consular officers to scrutinise applicants’ financial capacity to cover lifelong care without tapping public funds.
“Slightly overweight? Fine, come on in. But the bigger ones will need to trim down to get approved,” Trump posted, blending blunt rhetoric with a nod to his recent “fat shot” pact slashing prices on weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Zepbound. He vowed to broaden the net soon: “We will EXPAND this rule to cover Expats in the near future.”
A State Department cable to embassies worldwide, including Lagos and Abuja, spells out the criteria: “You must consider an applicant’s health. Certain medical conditions—including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions—can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care.” It probes further: “Does the applicant have adequate financial resources to cover the costs of such care over his entire expected lifespan without seeking public cash assistance or long-term institutionalization at government expense?”
The policy, effective immediately, has blindsided Nigerian officials and diaspora groups, who decry it as discriminatory amid soaring US-Nigeria ties strained by earlier spats over aid and security. A Lagos-based immigration lawyer, speaking anonymously, fumed: “This isn’t health policy; it’s a body-shaming border wall. Nigerians already face sky-high rejection rates — now we’re judged by scales?”
Trump’s missive, laced with a personal barb at ex-aide Rosie O’Donnell — “Rosie, you will never return to This Great Country” — underscores his penchant for blending policy with personal vendettas. Critics, including Democratic lawmakers, branded it a “cruel fat tax on the global poor,” warning of lawsuits under equal protection clauses.
Nigeria’s Foreign Ministry summoned the US envoy for clarification, while analysts eye ripple effects on remittances and student visas from Africa’s diaspora powerhouse. As consular queues swell, the order lays bare Trump’s unyielding vision: America first, even for the waistline.
