Nationwide — President Trump claims Chinese students keep many U.S. colleges alive, including Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), sparking a wave of online outrage from Black communities questioning his statement.
The president made the comments during an interview on Fox News with Laura Ingraham on November 10. “We do have a lot of people coming in from China,” he said. “We also have a massive system of colleges and universities, and if we were to cut that in half… You would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business. You would have the historically Black colleges and universities would all be out of business.”
Social media users quickly pushed back, according to The Root. “Since when did HBCUs rely on Chinese students ???” @cjgproduxions tweeted. Others called Trump’s claim ignorant or racist. @OGPrinceAGAIN said, “No bulls–t. We’re watching the dumbest muthaf—a in history,” while @freedmofthejess wrote, “Historically B L A C K Colleges and Universities relying on Chinese students???”
Data show HBCUs have very few international students. Across all HBCUs, international students make up about 2.5 percent of total enrollment, mostly from Africa and the Caribbean. @pettygurl1973 noted, “Funny, I didn’t see a single Chinese student at my son’s freshman ceremony at Morehouse [College in Atlanta] in August. Go figure.”
The conversation quickly turned to race and funding. Many online said Trump’s remark reinforced stereotypes about Black students. @IamDwayneWayne wrote, “Bruh really can’t make a decent talking point without making black ppl either the villain or the scapegoat.” Others highlighted that HBCUs often rely on donations from private donors like MacKenzie Scott, who has given over $300 million in recent years, rather than Chinese students.
Some defended Trump, suggesting he was trying to emphasize support for HBCUs. “See context matters. After watching the video it seems as if he is trying to protect HBCUs… I hate twitter,” @HuffingtonsPost wrote. Yet, the broader online response highlighted disbelief, criticism, and concern over his framing of Black institutions and students.