Trump played videos of radical South African leaders chanting violent slogans against white farmers during what started as a trade meeting. The footage showed political figure Julius Malema leading chants such as “Kill the farmer!” and “Shoot to kill!” President Ramaphosa brought three prominent white South Africans to counter Trump’s genocide claims, arguing that the attacks were criminal rather than racially motivated.
Trump’s Diplomatic Ambush
What began as a meeting focused on trade and investment quickly shifted when President Donald Trump presented South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with uncomfortable evidence of racial tensions in his country. The diplomatic encounter took a dramatic turn as Trump played videos showing radical leaders in South Africa, including Julius Malema, chanting violent slogans and threatening to seize white-owned farmland. The footage included burial sites of murdered white farmers, which Trump described in stark detail to Ramaphosa.
The video evidence presented by Trump reportedly showed minority party political leaders in South Africa calling for violence against white farmers. When confronted with the footage, Ramaphosa appeared unfamiliar with it, questioning its location and origin. Trump insisted the footage was authentically from South Africa, while Ramaphosa attempted to explain that the speeches in the videos did not reflect his government’s official policy, emphasizing South Africa’s multiparty democracy system.
🔥TRUMP – WOW! Even mainstream media now showing the meeting between Trump and SA President Ramaphosa.
No other world leader either cares or has the courage to point it out.
Ramaphosa looks sweaty as Trump plays the evidence of “kill the whites” 🔥
— Bernie (@Artemisfornow) May 21, 2025
South Africa’s Counter-Narrative
In an apparent attempt to counter Trump’s claims about white persecution, Ramaphosa brought along three prominent white South Africans to the meeting, including professional golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, as well as businessman Johann Rupert. These representatives offered their perspectives on the situation in South Africa, with Els emphasizing the need for American support in South Africa’s ongoing reforms. Despite this strategic move, Goosen confirmed that concerns about attacks on farmers were legitimate issues.
During the tense exchange, Trump questioned why radical leaders like Julius Malema had not been arrested despite their inflammatory rhetoric and ability to gather large crowds of supporters. Ramaphosa maintained that the attacks on white farmers were criminal acts, not racially motivated genocide as Trump suggested. Businessman Johann Rupert attempted to broaden the conversation by highlighting that crime affects both white and Black South Africans, presenting a more complex picture than Trump’s focused concerns about white farmers.
Elon Musk stares directly at South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as Trump confronts him over the ongoing persecution of white South Africans. @elonmusk has been vocal in speaking up against the ongoing attacks targeting white farmers. pic.twitter.com/7fL0wEeM3V
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) May 21, 2025
Confronting Evidence and Policy Implications
The confrontation over the video evidence led to deeper policy discussions between the two leaders. Trump made his opposition to South Africa’s land expropriation laws clear, citing the negative outcomes from similar policies in Zimbabwe. In a significant policy move, Trump confirmed that the United States has begun accepting Afrikaners as refugees, a decision that Ramaphosa reportedly criticized during their meeting. A trade union representative expressed concern about potential economic impacts if South Africa were to be excluded from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act.
“Burial sites. Right here. Burial sites. Over a thousand white farmers and those cars are lined up to pay love on a Sunday morning. Each one of those white things you see is a cross. And there are approximately a thousand of them. They are all white farmers, the family of white farmers. And those cars aren’t driving. They are stopped there to pay respects to their family member who was killed.” – Trump
Trump challenged Ramaphosa directly on land issues, suggesting that farmland is being seized and white farmers killed without consequences. Ramaphosa firmly denied that land is being taken or that such actions are sanctioned by his government. Throughout the exchange, South African journalists pressed Trump on his claims of “genocide” and his refugee policies for white Afrikaners, while Trump remained noncommittal on attending the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa and other diplomatic matters.