Emails reviewed by Reuters show HHS deputy assistant secretary Fred Cooper proposed including an 89‑page children's biography of Donald Trump in welcome packets for white South African refugees. The book, aimed at ages 8–12, portrays Trump as inspirational and addresses controversies including his impeachments and January 6. Cooper also recommended an Andrew Jackson biography, The 1776 Report, and a Family Research Council religious freedom brief. The proposal ties into a contentious Trump initiative to admit European‑descended South Africans and prompted questions about government neutrality and publisher transparency.
Emails Show HHS Official Proposed Trump Children's Biography For White South African Refugees
FILE PHOTO: The plane carrying the first group of white South Africans granted refugee status for being deemed victims of racial discrimination under U.S. President Trump's Refugee plan, arrives at Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia, U.S., May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst//File Photo
WASHINGTON — Internal emails reviewed by Reuters show that a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) official last week proposed including a children's biography of former President Donald Trump in welcome packets for white South Africans arriving in the United States as refugees.
Who Made the Suggestion? The recommendation came from Fred Cooper, a Trump appointee serving as deputy assistant secretary in an HHS division, according to a Dec. 8 internal email. HHS and Cooper did not respond to requests for comment.
The Proposed Materials
Cooper suggested adding an 89-page book titled "Donald Trump Biography for Kids: An Inspirational Story of One of America’s Most Famous Presidents", aimed at readers aged 8–12. The biography frames Trump as an inspirational figure whose life offers lessons in determination, resilience and confidence. It covers his New York childhood, business successes and failures (including the Taj Mahal bankruptcy), and prominent moments from his 2017–2021 presidency — from border wall construction to the administration’s COVID-19 response.
The suggested packet also included a biography of Andrew Jackson, a controversial 19th-century president praised by Trump but criticized historically for slave ownership and policies that displaced Native Americans. Cooper additionally proposed The 1776 Report, a review produced by a presidential commission, and a religious freedom report from the conservative Family Research Council.
Controversial Context
The proposal is tied to a broader and contentious Trump administration initiative to permit thousands of European‑descended Afrikaners — white South Africans — to enter the U.S. as refugees. The program has drawn strong criticism from the South African government and refugee advocates, who dispute claims that Afrikaners broadly face race‑based persecution in South Africa.
Veteran refugee workers told Reuters that newcomers commonly receive materials explaining U.S. history and civic life, but it is not customary for government-issued welcome packets to promote specific presidents, partisan viewpoints, or ideological materials.
Publisher And Logistics Questions
The Trump biography is published on Amazon under the imprint EverNest Press, which appears to have no independent online presence or publicly listed contact information; Reuters found EverNest only through the Amazon listing. The email did not specify whether the U.S. government would purchase the books or how distribution would be handled.
Additional Developments
Separately, South African authorities said they would deport Kenyan nationals who had been contracted to work on the U.S. refugee program, alleging they were operating on improper visas. The refugee program and the materials proposed for welcome packets have prompted debate over the role of government in shaping newcomers’ introduction to American society.
Bottom line: An HHS official’s internal suggestion to include partisan and ideologically charged materials — including a children’s biography of Donald Trump — in refugee welcome packets has raised questions about government neutrality, publisher transparency and the political dimensions of an already controversial refugee program.
