Another high-profile altercation in the White House.

The meeting between President Donald Trump and his South African counterpart at the White House was an attempt to ease tensions between the two countries. However, the meeting took a delicate turn when Trump claimed in front of the South African president that white farmers in his country were being "exploited."

This meeting came a week after the United States granted asylum to 59 Afrikaners or white South Africans.

America's decision created unease in South Africa, prompting President Cyril Ramaphosa to visit the U.S. in an effort to improve relations. At the time, Ramaphosa referred to those individuals as "cowards."

However, during a live news conference, Trump startled Ramaphosa by making claims about "white genocide" in South Africa — allegations that have been widely debunked.

He showed a video that displayed thousands of crosses by a roadside, suggesting these were the final resting places of white people who had been killed.
Trump admitted he did not know where the footage was shot in South Africa, and the video could not be independently verified.

Before the Wednesday meeting at the White House, South Africa’s leader had emphasized that improving relations with the United States was his top priority.

Under Trump’s new tariff policy, South African exports to the U.S. could face up to 30% tariffs starting July.

Ramaphosa had hoped to please Trump during the meeting — he brought along two South African golfers and shared a book with photos of golf courses from his country.

Despite this hopeful backdrop, the Oval Office meeting began cordially but took a turn when Trump unexpectedly requested the lights be dimmed to present a video. The atmosphere quickly shifted.

In the video, South African opposition leader Julius Malema's voice is heard shouting: "Shoot the Boer (Afrikaner), shoot the farmer..."

The video then showed a field full of crosses, which Trump said represented the graves of murdered white farmers.

However, the crosses were not graves but part of a protest by families of slain farmers and various organizations.

Trump also handed Ramaphosa printed images allegedly depicting white individuals who had been attacked in South Africa.

Ramaphosa, commenting on the voices in the video, said:
"What you saw, those speeches... this is not government policy. South Africa’s democracy consists of many parties that allow people to express their views."

"Our government’s policy is contrary to his (Malema’s), and his is a small minority party protected under our constitution."

On Wednesday, Ramaphosa expressed hope that Trump would listen to the voices of South African people. He pointed to the white members of his delegation, including golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and South Africa's richest man, Johann Rupert.

Ramaphosa said:
"If there was genocide, these three individuals would not be here today."

Trump interrupted, saying:
"But you let them buy land, and when they do, they’re killed — and nothing happens to the killers."

Ramaphosa responded, “No.”

Trump appeared to suggest that Malema and his non-governing party had the power to seize land from white farmers, which is untrue.

Ramaphosa had endorsed a controversial law earlier this year allowing the government to seize privately owned land, in some cases without compensation. However, the South African government says no land has yet been confiscated under this law.

Ramaphosa acknowledged:
"We have a high crime rate in our country… Those killed by criminals are not just white; the majority are black."

Trump, referencing the crosses, said:
"These farmers aren’t black. I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, but these farmers aren’t black."

South Africa does not release crime statistics based on race, but between October and December 2024, about 10,000 people were murdered in the country. Around a dozen of these deaths occurred during attacks on farms — among the 12 killed, one was a farmer, while the others were four workers and five nomads, who are generally believed to be black.

Claims of white genocide in South Africa have circulated among far-right groups for years. In February, a South African judge dismissed these claims as "myths" and "falsehoods" during a case involving the funding of a white supremacist group.

Despite Trump pressing the issue, Ramaphosa remained calm and shared a humorous anecdote about offering a plane to the U.S., which lightened the mood.

He said:
"I’m sorry, I cannot gift you an airplane."

It’s worth noting that the U.S. Department of Defense recently confirmed that a luxury Boeing 747 aircraft gifted by Qatar has been accepted for use as the new Air Force One.

Before his Middle East trip, Trump agreed to accept the plane from Qatar, a move that drew criticism back home.

During the meeting, Ramaphosa mentioned Nelson Mandela and said that South Africa remains committed to racial reconciliation.

When a journalist asked what would happen if white farmers left South Africa, Ramaphosa deferred the question to his white Minister of Irrigation, John Steenhuisen, who replied that most farmers want to stay.

Still, Trump kept taking jabs at Ramaphosa, who avoided direct confrontation — unlike what happened with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier in February.

After the meeting, opposition leader Malema wrote on X:
"This was a meeting in Washington by old people talking about me. No serious intelligence was shared on so-called white genocide."

Helena Humphrey, former U.S. ambassador to South Africa during Obama’s presidency, said the meeting was “truly embarrassing.”

She added:
"It’s clear a trap was set to humiliate the South African president."

Social media was abuzz with commentary. User Owais Hamid wrote:
"The laughter at the African president’s joke echoed in the room, but his sarcasm was a dirge for the current global system."

"It suggests that if he had gifted Trump a plane, Trump would have remained silent — just as he did during his recent visits to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. These countries lack democracy, personal freedoms, and have poor human rights records."

Another user named Adam wrote:
"Trump sees genocide in South Africa but not in Gaza."

User Viva Free praised Trump, writing:
"Trump is a boss — he condemned the South African president to his face."