Trump Confronts South Africa’s Ramaphosa with Discredited ‘White Genocide’ Claims in Oval Office Showdown

In a tense and highly choreographed Oval Office encounter, US President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with discredited claims of a so-called “white genocide” during a diplomatic meeting that had been intended to reset relations between the two countries.

Three months into his second term, Trump used the televised moment to revive a fringe conspiracy theory that white farmers in South Africa are being systematically persecuted, ambushing Ramaphosa with edited video clips, staged imagery, and sensationalised headlines.

Ramaphosa, known for his calm demeanour, responded with restraint—leaning on fact, law, and South Africa’s post-apartheid democratic legacy to defuse the situation.

A Diplomatic Encounter Becomes Political Theatre

The meeting, held on 21 May, was meant to soothe diplomatic tensions. South Africa is facing increased tariffs under Trump’s trade policy, and relations have been strained further by US asylum granted to nearly 60 white South African Afrikaners, recent cuts in aid, and a diplomatic fallout over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the ICJ.

Instead, Trump turned the Oval Office into a stage. Lights were dimmed. A television was rolled in—uncharacteristic for the room—and Trump played a video montage showing controversial opposition politician Julius Malema chanting “Shoot the Boer”, alongside images of white crosses lined up beside a highway. Trump claimed they were graves of murdered white farmers, though the footage was from a 2020 protest and the crosses were not actual graves.

Seated beside Ramaphosa were high-profile white South Africans: golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and billionaire Johann Rupert—a deliberate counter to Trump’s narrative.

“If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you, these three gentlemen would not be here,” Ramaphosa quipped.

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Discredited Claims, Calm Rebuttal

Trump, undeterred, leafed through a stack of news clippings, declaring “death, death” as he handed them to Ramaphosa. He accused the South African government of allowing land confiscations and linked those policies to violence against white citizens.

In fact, South Africa’s new land reform law allows for expropriation without compensation only in rare, legally defined circumstances and has not yet been implemented. The government says its goal is to redress centuries of land dispossession under colonialism and apartheid. No evidence supports claims of systematic violence targeting white farmers.

While Trump asserted that the farmers being persecuted were “not Black”, Ramaphosa corrected him: “People who do get killed through criminal activity are not only white people. The majority of them are Black people.”

According to official crime data, 26,232 murders were recorded in South Africa in 2024. Of the 44 murders linked to farming communities, only eight were farmers.

A Play to Trump’s Base?

The Oval Office confrontation echoed Trump’s February encounter with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, where similar tactics were used. Analysts suggest this style of diplomacy is more about energising Trump’s domestic base—particularly white nationalist and far-right audiences—than serious foreign policy.

South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, a Trump ally and vocal amplifier of the “white genocide” myth, was also present during the meeting, though he remained silent.

Ramaphosa’s Diplomatic Strategy

President Ramaphosa appeared well-prepared. His delegation included white South Africans from various sectors, a symbolic demonstration of the rainbow nation ideal that continues to guide the country’s democratic project. He refrained from direct confrontation, even managing to joke: “You wanted to see drama. I’m sorry we disappointed you.”

In closed-door discussions after the public meeting, Ramaphosa reportedly made progress on key trade issues. He said the US and South Africa had begun talks on critical minerals and liquefied natural gas purchases. He also expressed hope that Trump might attend the G20 Summit in South Africa in November.

Responses at Home and Abroad

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the party of Julius Malema, later issued a statement rejecting the characterisation of the song “Shoot the Boer” as hate speech. “It is a part of African heritage,” they noted, “and an expression of resistance against apartheid.”

Patrick Gaspard, former US ambassador to South Africa, described the Oval Office event as “a trap” set to humiliate the South African leader. Meanwhile, Afriforum, a white Afrikaner interest group, confirmed that while they had used parts of the video footage in their own campaigns, they did not produce the video shown at the White House.

Beyond the Rhetoric

This clash underscores deeper tensions in US–Africa relations under Trump’s presidency—marked by confrontational diplomacy, politicisation of race, and disregard for historical nuance.

Ramaphosa’s careful diplomacy and measured tone likely spared South Africa a greater fallout. Yet the damage to perceptions and the distortion of facts surrounding land reform and racial justice in South Africa could linger.

As Trump courts controversy to solidify his domestic political standing, foreign leaders may become more wary of stepping into what has increasingly become a stage for his ideological battles.