Trump Presses Ramaphosa on White Farmer Claims Amid South Africa Trade Talks

In a tense Oval Office meeting, U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with unfounded claims of a “white genocide” and land seizures in South Africa. Trump played a dramatic video showing white crosses—mistakenly portrayed as graves—and quoted articles claiming white farmers were being killed and their land confiscated. These allegations, long circulated in far-right circles, have been repeatedly debunked.

Ramaphosa, aiming to reset U.S.-South Africa relations after Trump cut aid and criticized the country’s stance on Israel, brought white South African golf legends Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and billionaire Johann Rupert to underscore the falsity of the genocide narrative. Calmly rejecting the claims, Ramaphosa stressed that South Africa’s high crime rate overwhelmingly affects Black citizens, not white farmers.

Official statistics support his assertion: of the 26,232 murders reported in South Africa in 2024, only 44 were linked to farming communities, with just eight victims identified as farmers. Ramaphosa also highlighted that no land expropriations without compensation have occurred, contrary to Trump’s claims.

Despite Ramaphosa’s measured tone and efforts to shift the focus to trade, including discussions around liquefied natural gas and critical minerals, Trump remained fixated on white minority issues. South Africa's proposed land reform aims to address historical apartheid-era injustices, not to persecute any racial group.

Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of the white farmer narrative, was also present during the exchange. Trump’s stance aligns with conspiracy theories embraced by segments of his political base, but South Africa’s leadership continues to reject these distortions.

Following the meeting, Ramaphosa reiterated, “There is just no genocide in South Africa,” refuting Trump’s claims while focusing on economic cooperation between the two nations.