Tense Oval Office Meeting: Trump Confronts South African President Ramaphosa Over Debunked ‘White Genocide’ Claims
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A high-profile meeting between US President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa turned tense on Wednesday as Trump confronted Ramaphosa with disputed allegations of white genocide and land seizures in South Africa.
During the Oval Office session, Trump presented a video and printed news clippings claiming violence against white South African farmers. The footage included white crosses and statements by opposition figures, which Trump described as evidence of a targeted campaign against the white minority.
However, the white crosses shown in the video were part of a 2020 protest symbolizing farmers killed over decades, not recent victims. Protest organizers clarified the crosses did not mark actual graves.
Despite Trump’s confrontational approach, Ramaphosa remained composed, responding diplomatically: “These are concerns we are willing to talk to you about. There is crime in South Africa, yes, but the majority of victims are Black.”
The meeting was seen as an attempt by South Africa to improve strained relations with Washington following recent US actions including aid cuts, the expulsion of South Africa’s ambassador, and criticism over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
Ramaphosa, accompanied by prominent white South African golfers as a goodwill gesture, aimed to focus on trade issues. The US is South Africa’s second-largest trading partner, and Pretoria faces a potential 30 percent tariff under suspended US import taxes.
Yet Trump, echoing a conspiracy theory popular in far-right circles and amplified by South African-born entrepreneur Elon Musk—who was also present—accused South Africa of persecuting white farmers. “People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases, they’re being killed,” Trump asserted while reviewing newspaper clippings.
South African officials firmly reject these claims. Despite high violent crime rates—over 26,000 murders recorded in 2024—only a tiny fraction are connected to farming communities, with just eight farmers confirmed victims. The majority of homicide victims are Black South Africans.
South Africa has recently enacted land reform laws permitting expropriation without compensation for public interest cases, such as unused land, but no seizures have occurred, and judicial oversight is in place.
Ramaphosa referenced Nelson Mandela’s legacy of reconciliation but was unable to sway Trump, who acknowledged apartheid as “terrible” yet described the situation as “sort of the opposite of apartheid.”
The encounter was compared to Trump’s confrontational meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy earlier this year. Unlike Zelenskiy, who left the meeting early, Ramaphosa remained calm, even complimenting the Oval Office decor and noting his upcoming G20 presidency, though Trump declined to confirm his attendance at the November summit in South Africa.
South African billionaire Johann Rupert, also at the meeting, echoed Ramaphosa’s message, emphasizing that “crime is a problem across the board” affecting many Black South Africans as well.
After the meeting, Ramaphosa downplayed tensions, highlighting agreements on cooperation in critical minerals and trade proposals, including US liquefied natural gas imports.
Crucially, Ramaphosa firmly dismissed Trump’s central accusation: “There is just no genocide in South Africa,” he stated unequivocally, rejecting the narrative pushed by Trump and his allies.
