Zuhal Demir and United States Bill White engaged in a sharp public confrontation on social media, sparked by Demir’s commentary on the American midterm elections.
Ambassador White responded by challenging the minister’s choice of words.
“What does she mean by ‘orange peril’? What color is his skin? I don’t believe she knows much about politics,” White said, according to RTBF.
Demir countered with irony, offering an apology that leaned into the ambassador’s own terminology.
“I apologize to Donald Trump and the other members of the orange community if my remarks were misunderstood. That’s still a bit woke, Bill!,” Demir wrote, as noted by La Libre.be.
The exchange intensified as White rejected the premise that the former president constitutes a threat.
Further to what Bryan accurately explains to you Ms. Demir that President Trump is 100% in control of the Executive Branch of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump is far from a threat nor will he be reined in. He is our commander in chief. I will always stand up for… https://t.co/G5BcnwkhRx
“Donald Trump represents absolutely no threat and he will not be muzzled. He is our commander-in-chief. I reject this petty racist remark from this local yokel.” White stated
White subsequently linked the political disagreement to ongoing bilateral projects, including American investments in a nuclear research center in Mol and the construction of a new consulate in Antwerp. He questioned whether Demir would prefer that the former president stall those initiatives.
Internal party friction
The public clash has surfaced differing perspectives within the N-VA regarding Donald Trump. While Demir has distanced herself from the former president, other party members hold contrasting views. Theo Francken, the N-VA minister of Defense, has maintained support for conservative American politics, despite having previously criticized specific rhetoric used by Trump toward figures such as Giorgia Meloni.
Amid the fallout, the activist Moshe Friedman has sought to have White declared “an unwelcome person,” a request that remains contested, according to La Libre.be.
“Donald J. Trump is far from representing a threat and he will certainly not be bridled. He is our commander-in-chief. I will always defend the president of the United States of America,” White said on X.
It is not yet known if further formal diplomatic channels will be utilized to resolve the dispute, or whether the status of the contested infrastructure projects in Mol and Antwerp will be impacted by the exchange.