Trump confronts South Africa’s Ramaphosa over farm killings

President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing his country of failing to address the killing of white farmers. Trump claimed that people were fleeing South Africa for their own safety. At one point during the meeting, he dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to show a video of a communist politician singing a controversial anti-apartheid song that included lyrics about killing farmers. Ramaphosa firmly rejected the accusation, stating, “We are completely opposed to that.”

The situation escalated when Trump said he wanted an explanation regarding claims that white South Africans are being persecuted—an allegation South African officials have repeatedly denied. Ramaphosa also rejected the claim during the Oval Office discussion. South Africa does not collect crime statistics based on race.

Last week, Trump announced he would allow dozens of white Afrikaners to enter the U.S. as refugees. During the meeting, Trump asked White House staff to play videos allegedly showing what he described as a “genocide” in South Africa. He also distributed printed articles that he claimed supported his assertions about the persecution of white South Africans—claims that remain widely disputed and unsubstantiated.

The video included images of white crosses, which Trump said marked the graves of thousands of white South Africans, as well as footage of opposition leaders delivering incendiary speeches. Ramaphosa mostly sat expressionless as the video played, occasionally craning his neck to watch. He remarked that he had never seen the footage with the crosses before and said he wanted to find out where it was filmed.

According to a PBS report, white farmers have indeed been murdered in South Africa, but those cases account for less than 1% of the more than 27,000 murders recorded nationwide each year. As for land seizures, a new land reform law—intended to address the legacy of apartheid—allows for land expropriation without compensation when it is deemed in the public interest. However, such actions are subject to legal challenge in court. Prior to the meeting, Ramaphosa had hoped to reset U.S.–South Africa relations. However, the scene was reminiscent of Trump’s February meeting with Ukraine’s leader, which also turned contentious.

The interaction has since gained significant attention online, in part due to Elon Musk’s visible reaction. Musk, who was present, did not speak, but photos and videos of him staring at Ramaphosa have gone viral on social media. Meanwhile, a South African family who watched the exchange said they believed the meeting was necessary.

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