Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka says he foresaw the United States’ mass revocation of visas and green cards under President Donald Trump, following the recent cancellation of his own visa.
According to PUNCH reporting, Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka said he predicted the United States would revoke visas and green cards once Donald Trump became president.
In an interview published Wednesday on Facebook, Soyinka, whose visa was recently cancelled by the U.S. government, said Trump’s leadership had revealed “the dark side of America,” describing him as “a petty-minded dictator.”
“This is a petty-minded dictator, you see how he deals with his objects of hate,” Soyinka said, adding that when Trump took office, “the first thing he will do is cancel even the green cards.”
Soyinka’s comment followed U.S. President Trump’s weekend declaration of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing alleged Christian genocide. Trump also threatened military intervention if killings continued, a statement that triggered diplomatic tension.
The 91-year-old author, who previously tore his green card in protest of Trump’s 2016 victory, said he would not reapply for a U.S. visa. The U.S. Embassy confirmed Soyinka’s B1/B2 visa was revoked in October, noting that “visas are a privilege, not a right.”
Soyinka also disclosed receiving an IRS audit notice after Trump’s inauguration, describing the timing as “a very impressive coincidence.”