President Trump pulled South African President Cyril Ramaphosa into an prolonged and at instances tense debate about claims of “genocide” in opposition to white farmers in South Africa, enjoying a video within the Oval Workplace to assist his allegations.
The in any other case cordial assembly started to devolve after a reporter requested Trump what it might take to persuade him there isn’t any genocide concentrating on white farmers, just like the president and different allies have claimed. Ramaphosa jumped in to say it might take Trump listening to the voices and views of native South Africans, together with some who joined him on the U.S. journey.
Trump then motioned for an aide to queue up a video, an indication he and his workforce have been ready to defend their controversial claims. The roughly four-minute video, which the White Home later shared on the social platform X, included clips of South Africans saying “kill the farmer” and chanting about taking pictures Afrikaners.
“This is very bad. These are burial sites right here … over a thousand of white farmers and those cars are lined up to pay love on Sunday morning, each one of those white things you see are a cross. There’s approximately a thousand of them, they’re all white farmers,” Trump mentioned throughout part of the video.
“I’d like to know where that is. Because this I’ve never seen,” Ramaphosa mentioned of the burial websites.
Ramaphosa pushed again on Trump’s assertions that white farmers have been having their land taken away and being killed. He acknowledged there was “criminality” within the nation, however he famous {that a} majority of victims of crime in South Africa have been Black.
South African Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, who’s white, spoke through the assembly to denounce the language within the video. He mentioned the people from the clips are leaders of the opposition events in South Africa and mentioned the Ramaphosa authorities has made an effort to maintain them out of energy.
“It’s more than just a little movement, it’s a pretty big movement in South Africa. So, it has to be resolved. It will be the end of the country if it’s not resolved,” Trump mentioned after Steenhuisen’s feedback, arguing that the video featured individuals talking at “a stadium with a hundred thousand people in it.”
“I’m not here for my health. I’m here to see if we can do something,” the president added.
A reporter within the Oval Workplace requested what Trump would really like the South African president to do in regards to the state of affairs.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Look, these are articles over the last few days. Death of people,” Trump mentioned, going via on-line information articles printed out on paper. “Death. Death … white South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws.”
Ramaphosa replied, “Our government policy is completely, completely against what you were saying, even in the Parliament. And they’re a small minority party which is allowed to exist, in terms of our constitution.”
At one level, Trump additionally talked about that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is from South Africa, suggesting he didn’t wish to drag Musk into the talk whereas the billionaire stood within the Oval Workplace behind Vice President Vance and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Moreover, the president blamed the media for not reporting on South Africa, mentioning that an NBC reporter requested in regards to the Qatari airplane present to Trump after the video was performed as an alternative of asking in regards to the Afrikaner “genocide.”
“I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you,” Ramaphosa mentioned earlier than laughing.
“I wish you did, I’d take it,” Trump mentioned. “If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.”
Ramaphosa got here to the assembly with a plan to attempt to assuage Trump’s issues and enchantment to him on a private stage, bringing with him well-known South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Trump is understood to be a giant golf fan and a frequent participant and referred to each as pals.
Els appealed to Trump in regards to the significance of the U.S. as an ally for South Africa, with Trump praising his remarks.
Trump has fixated on South Africa in latest months over claims that Afrikaners, a white ethnic minority, have been unfairly focused. The president signed an government order in February pausing international help to South Africa over claims that the federal government there “radically disfavored landowners.”
Earlier this month, the Trump administration welcomed a airplane carrying 49 Afrikaners granted refugee standing. The transfer raised eyebrows given the administration’s wider pause of the refugee program and crackdown on immigration.
South African officers have rejected the Trump administration’s claims, saying there isn’t any proof of genocide or persecution of Afrikaners within the nation.
Earlier than enjoying the video, Trump was requested why Afrikaners are prioritized whereas the refugee standing of Afghans, Venezuelans and others have been revoked — a subject that the administration has defended for the reason that program launched.
“When you say we don’t take others, all you have to do is take a look at the southern border … they came from all over the world. In many cases, they’re criminals,” the president mentioned. “Don’t say that we didn’t take them. We’re trying to get them out as fast as we can.”
