WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump sparked diplomatic tensions on Wednesday after pressing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with false and inflammatory claims of white “genocide” and land seizures, echoing far-right conspiracy theories during a confrontational Oval Office meeting that drew comparisons to his earlier ambush of Ukraine’s leader.
Although South Africa grapples with high crime rates, the vast majority of murder victims are Black, a reality that sharply contrasts with Trump’s assertions about white farmers facing targeted persecution. Nevertheless, Trump escalated the narrative, accusing Pretoria of failing to protect white landowners and suggesting the U.S. should offer them refuge.
“We have many people who feel they’re being persecuted,” Trump said, referring specifically to white South African farmers. “Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they’re being killed.”
Ramaphosa, who came prepared to discuss trade and economic cooperation, brought with him a delegation that included prominent white South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johann Rupert, aiming to present a balanced image of post-apartheid South Africa. But the meeting quickly turned confrontational.
Trump launched into his claims by presenting a video montage and printed news clippings that he said proved his case. “We have thousands of stories… documentaries, news articles,” Trump declared before dimming the lights to play a video that showed white crosses, inflammatory political speeches, and suggested white South Africans were under violent siege. He even called for the arrest of South African opposition leader Julius Malema, who has been a vocal critic of white landownership disparities.
Despite the pressure, Ramaphosa maintained composure, watching the video in silence and later pointing to the presence of the three white South African businessmen seated beside him.
“If there was an Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here,” he said.
Ramaphosa reiterated that land reform in South Africa is being carried out through legal, constitutional means, with provisions for court challenges and no recorded expropriations without compensation to date. The controversial law is aimed at redressing centuries of land dispossession during apartheid and colonial rule.
“There is crime in South Africa,” Ramaphosa acknowledged. “But the majority of victims are Black.” Trump quickly cut him off, saying, “The farmers are not Black.”
Trump’s remarks closely reflect talking points of white nationalist groups in the United States and abroad, where the myth of white genocide in South Africa has been embraced by the far right.
“I will say: apartheid, terrible,” Trump stated. “This is sort of the opposite of apartheid.”
Despite the sharp exchange, Ramaphosa struck a diplomatic tone, complimenting the gold-themed Oval Office decor and expressing his enthusiasm about handing over the G20 presidency next year. Trump declined to confirm whether he would attend the G20 summit in South Africa in November 2025.
In recent months, Trump has criticized South Africa’s land reform law, canceled aid, expelled the South African ambassador, and offered asylum to white Afrikaners, citing “racial persecution” — claims South Africa has categorically denied.
Though diplomatic relations have grown tense, economic stakes remain high. The United States is South Africa’s second-largest bilateral trade partner, trailing only China. Ramaphosa had hoped to shift the conversation toward tariff negotiations and investment opportunities.
Billionaire Johann Rupert later defended Ramaphosa, stating that violent crime affects all communities, and suggested that American-born South African tech magnate Elon Musk’s Starlink system could help improve policing across the country.
