Mirian Gom 
US President Donald Trump
ABUJA, Nigeria – U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a controversial immigration policy that would deny visas to individuals deemed “grossly overweight,” citing concerns over health costs and public burden.
Trump made the disclosure on Wednesday via his Truth Social account, saying his administration would “not approve visas for people who could overburden our health system due to obesity-related illnesses.”
“We will not ban all fat people from entering our great country, only those whose poor health will overburden our healthcare system,” Trump wrote, adding that “the bigger ones will need to trim down to get approved.”
The proposed restriction, which he said would soon extend to expatriates, excludes individuals who are “slightly overweight.” Trump added, “We will expand this rule to cover expats in the near future. Rosie, you will never return to this great country.”
According to The New Republic, a U.S. outlet, a State Department cable to embassies instructed visa officers to consider applicants’ health and potential medical expenses. The directive reportedly cited conditions such as cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, diabetes, and cancers as possible grounds for rejection.
Critics have condemned the proposal as discriminatory and medically misguided. A Washington-based health policy expert, Dr. Melissa Raymond, warned, “This move stigmatizes people based on appearance rather than evidence of fitness. It undermines global efforts to promote body positivity and health equity.”
The announcement follows Trump’s recent “fat shot” partnership with pharmaceutical firms producing weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Zepbound — a deal he claims will make America “healthier and leaner again.”
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Otamere Gladness 
Oluwatobi Adu 
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