In a surprising turn of events, President Trump dimmed the lights in the Oval Office on Wednesday during a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, showcasing what he claimed was video evidence of racial persecution of white South Africans.
The meeting, which began with lighthearted discussions on golf and foreign policy, quickly shifted focus toward the contentious topic of alleged “white genocide” in South Africa, a narrative that Mr. Trump has previously amplified.
The conversation intensified when a journalist inquired what might persuade Mr. Trump to reconsider his stance on the existence of “white genocide” in South Africa. In response, Mr. Ramaphosa stated that it would require the U.S. leader to listen to South Africans’ perspectives.
The discourse centered on Mr. Trump’s assertions of false claims regarding land seizures and mass killings involving white Afrikaners, a group that dominated South African politics during the apartheid era. Despite Mr. Ramaphosa’s explanations of the current situation, Mr. Trump continued to present his views as he displayed a packet of printed articles and a video intended to substantiate his claims.
One video clip reportedly depicted the controversial chant “Kill the Boer”, a slogan that some officials and Afrikaner activists cite as evidence of persecution. However, the African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party, dissociated itself from this chant, stating it was popularized by a different political faction years prior.
Mr. Ramaphosa emphasized that South Africa operates as a multiparty democracy, allowing for free expression, and clarified that government policy contradicts Mr. Trump’s assertions. Despite this, Mr. Trump continued to express his views emphatically, focusing on the notion of “death” in relation to white South Africans.
While acknowledging that there have been killings involving white South Africans, police data indicates they are not killed at a higher rate than their fellow citizens. Additionally, although the South African government has enacted a law permitting land expropriation without compensation, such actions are subject to judicial review.
The South African delegation persisted in attempting to convey the reality on the ground in their country, yet Mr. Trump remained steadfast in his narrative, stating, “Dead white people, dead white farmers.” As Mr. Trump narrated one scene from the video, claiming it depicted “burial sites of more than 1,000 white farmers,” Mr. Ramaphosa expressed skepticism regarding the video's authenticity, questioning the location of the scenes presented.