The United States is expelling South Africa’s ambassador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, describing the envoy as a “race-baiting politician” with a deep-seated hatred for President Donald Trump.
Tensions between the two nations have worsened since Trump cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing opposition to its land policies and its genocide case against Washington’s ally Israel at the International Court of Justice.
“Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS (Trump),” Rubio wrote on social media.
South Africa’s presidency and international relations department expressed regret over the decision but reaffirmed its commitment to fostering mutually beneficial relations. Officials stated that they would address the issue through diplomatic channels.
Rubio also shared an article from right-wing outlet **Breitbart**, which quoted Rasool as claiming Trump was leading a white supremacist movement. The State Department confirmed that Rasool must leave the U.S. by March 21.
According to **Semafor**, Rasool has struggled to secure routine meetings with State Department officials and key Republican figures since Trump, a Republican, took office in January.
The U.S. is currently reassessing its South Africa policy, the State Department spokesperson said, citing concerns over the country’s land policies, growing alliances with Russia and Iran, and its increasingly confrontational stance toward the U.S. and its allies.
“The U.S.-South Africa relationship has now reached its lowest point,” said Patrick Gaspard, former U.S. ambassador to South Africa. “There’s too much at stake not to work toward repairing this partnership.”
Rasool initially presented his credentials to then-President Joe Biden on January 13, just a week before Trump assumed office for his second term, according to the South African embassy’s website.
Trump has repeatedly claimed, without citing evidence, that “South Africa is confiscating land” and that “certain classes of people” are being treated “very badly.”
South African-born billionaire **Elon Musk**, a Trump ally, has also criticized South Africa’s land policies, stating that white South Africans have been targeted by “racist ownership laws.”
In January, **President Cyril Ramaphosa** signed a law facilitating land expropriation in cases deemed to be in the public interest, including instances where compensation may not be provided.
Ramaphosa has defended the policy as a measure to correct historical racial inequalities in land ownership, emphasizing that the government has not seized any land.
In response, Trump has offered to resettle white South African farmers and their families in the U.S. as refugees. The State Department, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, has begun implementing the plan, with initial interviews currently underway.
