President Donald Trump has once again turned the Oval Office into a stage for controversy. This time, his target was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The accusation? White genocide. The White House meeting was reminiscent of Trump’s February ambush of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
A meeting meant to soothe tensions between the US and South Africa instead spiraled as President Donald Trump confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, with claims that white South African farmers are being systematically persecuted, their land confiscated, and their lives endangered. The problem? These claims have been widely debunked by experts, South African authorities, and even international human rights organizations.
President Ramaphosa attempted to steer the conversation toward trade and economic cooperation, hoping to reset his country’s relationship with the United States.
But Trump had other plans. With the lights dimmed, President Trump played a video featuring white crosses and fiery political speeches, insisting it was proof of racial persecution.
The reality? Sources say the footage was from a 2020 protest, where the crosses were symbolic, not actual graves. But in Trump’s world, symbolism is apparently interchangeable with reality.
Trump said, “We have many people that feel they’re being persecuted, and they’re coming to the United States.” He added that “people are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they’re being killed. So, we take from many locations if we feel there’s persecution or genocide going on,” referring specifically to white farmers.
This is not the first time Trump has embraced far-right narratives. His administration has previously halted aid to South Africa, expelled its ambassador, and even offered refugee status to white Afrikaners.
Ramaphosa said, “If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you, these three gentlemen would not be here,” referring to golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and billionaire Johann Rupert, all white, who were present in the room.
The irony? South Africa’s crime statistics indicate that the overwhelming majority of murder victims are Black, not white. South African police recorded 26,232 murders nationwide in 2024, with 44 linked to farming communities. Eight of those victims were farmers.
So, what’s the takeaway here? Trump’s latest confrontation with Ramaphosa is less about facts and more about fueling a narrative that plays well with his base. Whether this will have real diplomatic consequences remains to be seen.
