US President Donald Trump went all out during a White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where he accused the country of not doing enough to address his unfounded claim of targeted killings of white farmers. Trump even went as far as dimming the lights in the Oval Office to show a video of a far-left politician chanting a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer.” He dramatically flipped through news articles to emphasize his point, claiming that white farmers in South Africa were facing “death, death, death, horrible death.”
The meeting took place on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington, where South African businessman Johann Rupert was in attendance. Trump had already halted all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed dozens of white South African farmers to the US as refugees, asserting that a “genocide” was occurring in the country. He accused South Africa’s Black-led government of seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies, and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy. However, experts in South Africa have refuted these claims, stating that there is no evidence of whites being specifically targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent crimes due to the country’s high crime rate.
During the meeting, Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump’s accusations, stating that the behavior described was not reflective of the government’s policies. He emphasized that the South African government did not condone violence against white farmers and that the claims made by Trump were false. Despite the tension, Ramaphosa expressed a desire to “reset” the relationship between the United States and South Africa, acknowledging that the bilateral relationship was at its lowest point since the end of apartheid in 1994. Trump issued an executive order in February cutting all funding to South Africa over perceived domestic and foreign policy issues, further straining the relationship between the two countries.
The meeting highlighted the deep divide between the two leaders, with Trump emphasizing his concerns about South African policies and Ramaphosa attempting to salvage the relationship. The accusations made by Trump regarding the treatment of white farmers in South Africa have been met with skepticism by experts, who have found no evidence to support the claims of targeted violence. Despite the challenges, both leaders expressed a willingness to address the issues and work towards improving relations between their countries. As the meeting concluded, it was evident that there were still significant differences to overcome before a resolution could be reached.