In Los Angeles (LA), United States, protests against the Donald Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants have been ongoing for several days, prompting a critical statement from the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles after Trump’s eldest son posted a photo of a Korean American protection group from the 1992 LA riots.
On the 9th (local time), the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles issued a statement saying, "Amid the ongoing unrest in LA, Donald Trump Jr. showed the recklessness of mocking the current unrest by mentioning the ‘Rooftop Koreans’ during the LA riots 33 years ago in a post on X."
It added, "As the current president's eldest son and an influencer with about 15 million followers, his actions could pose a considerable danger during this precarious time."
Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of President Trump, posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) the previous day, showing a man presumably of Korean descent during the LA riots and wrote, "Make Rooftop Koreans Great Again!"
The photo depicted a man, appearing to be Korean, armed and loading a gun on a rooftop. During the LA riots in 1992, Korean Americans became targets of looting and arson, leading them to form armed protection groups. Local residents referred to them as the ‘Rooftop Koreans’ at the time.
Trump Jr.'s actions are interpreted as an attempt to defend the Trump administration's hardline response by evoking the lawlessness of the LA riots 33 years ago. Following President Trump’s order to deploy 2,000 members of the California National Guard to LA, mentions of the LA riots has significantly increased among Republican figures.