At White House, Trump confronts South African President over white genocide claims
US President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House on Wednesday over what he described as the “killing” of white farmers in South Africa, a claim Pretoria has repeatedly rejected as false and misleading.
What began as a cordial meeting quickly turned tense when Trump played a video he said showed “burial sites” of white South African farmers. “These are burial sites right here… over a thousand… they’re all White farmers,” Trump said, narrating the footage, which showed white crosses lined along a road.
Ramaphosa, sitting mostly expressionless as the video played, responded that he had not seen the footage before and would like to know its origin. Elon Musk, Trump’s adviser and a South Africa-born billionaire, was present in the Oval Office and quietly looked on. The Tesla chief has in recent weeks amplified the ‘white genocide’ conspiracy theories on social media and in public.
Trump then flipped through printed articles and declared, “Death, death,” as he highlighted cases of white South Africans allegedly killed in attacks.
The South African president acknowledged the issue of crime in his country, saying, “There is crime in South Africa, and the majority of victims are Black.” Trump interrupted, saying, “The farmers are not Black.”
Trump has long accused South Africa of encouraging violence against white landowners through “hateful rhetoric and government actions,” and has criticised its land reform policies. He has also cancelled US aid to South Africa, expelled its ambassador, and offered refuge to white Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers, citing alleged racial discrimination.
South Africa, however, strongly denies the genocide claims. Officials have said the narrative “fails to recognise South Africa’s profound and painful history” of colonialism and apartheid. They argue that land reform efforts aim to redress longstanding inequalities, not incite violence.
The meeting comes at a critical time for South Africa, as the United States is its second-largest trading partner after China. The aid cuts have already had consequences, including a drop in HIV patient testing.
