Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Young Texan boy called 'little Hitler' after setting up hot cocoa stall to help Trump raise funds for border wall

'Call that brainwashing, but I call it parenting, because we instill our values in him'

Sarah Harvard
New York
Wednesday 20 February 2019 10:19 EST
Comments
Benton Stevens, a 7-year-old Texan, was reportedly called “little Hitler” last week while he was selling hot chocolate to raise money for President Donald Trump’s infamous wall on the border of the United States and Mexico.
Benton Stevens, a 7-year-old Texan, was reportedly called “little Hitler” last week while he was selling hot chocolate to raise money for President Donald Trump’s infamous wall on the border of the United States and Mexico. (screenshot via CBS Austin)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A seven-year-old boy in Texas was reportedly called “little Hitler” last week while he was selling hot chocolate to raise money for President Donald Trump’s wall on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Jennifer Stevens, the boy’s mother, told a local NBC affiliate that a man drove by and likened her son to the leader of the Nazi party.

She also said she didn’t understand why people thought Benton, her son, who is fundraising money for a president who called Mexicans “rapists” and ordered family separation policies for migrants, hates “brown people.”

“He was called a little Hitler yesterday,” Ms Stevens said. “A guy pointed at him in his car and then he said that we didn’t like brown people. I don’t understand that at all.”

Ms Stevens said Benton came up with the idea of selling hot chocolate to raise enough money for the border wall after watching Mr Trump’s State of the Union address in early February.

It should be noted that the cocoa tree was domesticated in Mexico and Central America 4,000 years ago.

“He wanted to know about the wall so we explained what it was about and he was like, ‘I want to raise money for the wall,’” she added.

Ms Stevens, a Trump supporter, said critics accused her of brainwashing her son. She calls it “parenting.”

“People think he’s brainwashed,” Ms Stevens added. “Well, of course he supports Trump, because we do, and he hears how we talk and this and that. Call that brainwashing, but I call it parenting, because we instill our values in him.”

Benton raised more than $1,400 from the hot chocolate sales and donations. The president is demanding $5.6bn for the construction of the border wall.

Ms Stevens said there is a GoFundMe page for her Benton’s fundraiser and claimed her family is connected with the Republican National Committee (RNC), allowing them to ensure the funds will be used for the border wall.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“There’s a GoFundMe page and we’re also part of the RNC, and we’re pretty connected there, so we will 100 per cent make sure it goes towards the wall,” she said.

Although many people did not appreciate his cause, Ms Stevens said Benton raised $231 within an hour outside a mall in Saturday

“I guess some liberals — or whatever you want to call them — they were griping at the owner [of the store] and going in and yelling at him and slamming him on Facebook,” the mother of the seven-year-old boy said, before adding that she and her husband reluctantly decided to shutdown Benton’s hot cocoa stand.

Ms Stevens said Benton and her family were shamed online after photos of his hot cocoa stand appeared online, but she seems unfazed by the backlash.

“That’s the price you pay when you make a political stance.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in