Cherfilus-McCormick Discusses Haiti's Future Under Trump Administration

The ongoing crisis in Haiti has worsened since Prime Minister Garry Conille was ousted in November. In a Sunday appearance on WPLG Local 10, Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) discussed the current state of affairs and what she expects to happen regarding the Caribbean country under President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration, suggesting that Haiti is holding its breath until policies are put forward.

Host Glenna Milberg noted that the Trump Administration does not seem interested in putting boots on the ground in Haiti, to which Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick agreed, saying, "We have to pressure our European allies who have participated in the demise of Haiti to actually ante up. They have to support Haiti, and they have to actually put money towards it. When we look at the money, we have committed over $300 million," while France, whom she blamed for "most of the instability in Haiti," has only pledged $3 million.

The conversation shifted to the incoming Trump Administration specifically, with Milberg asking Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick what she expects.

"We are going to see more, I believe, of the conversation of Haiti as a national security issue. When we are looking at one of [Trump's] appointees, [Representative] Michael Waltz (R-FL), we were actually in [the House Committee on] Foreign Affairs together. We talked about Haiti and 'how do we make sure that Haiti is actually safe and not a security risk to us in the United States?' So there are going to be more conversations on that, but until the Trump Administration actually starts putting some real policies behind what they want to see for Haiti, I think that is where the ambivalence is," the Florida Congresswoman continued.

Moreover, she suggested, "If there is no relief in Haiti, our borders are going to be a continuous issue. If there is no release in Haiti, we are going to continue seeing more of the cartels coming into Haiti and taking control of it."

In July, Cherfilus-McCormick told The Floridian that she believed the Trump Administration would unlikely aid Haiti, suggesting "the policy will be on the countries he values."

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.