President Donald Trump during a White House meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa confronted him for failing to address Trump's 'baseless' claim of the systematic killing of white farmers.
Trump had dimmed the lights of the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician chanting a song that includes the lyrics "kill the farmer." He also leafed through news articles to underscore his point, saying the country's white farmers have faced "death, death, death, horrible death."
Ramaphosa baffled, said, "I'd like to know where that is, because this I've never seen."
Experts in South Africa have said that there is no evidence of whites being targeted for their race, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country with a high crime rate.
Trump had already cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees as he pressed the case that a "genocide" is underway in the country.
Trump-Ramaphosa Confrontation
Donald Trump appeared prepared to confront Ramaphosa at the start of the meetingas the videos were cued up on a large TV set to show a clip of an opposition party leader, Julius Malema, leading an old anti-apartheid song.
The song has been controversial for years in the country because of its central lyrics "kill the Boer" and "shoot the Boer" 바카라 with Boer a word that refers to a white farmer. Malema, featured in the video, is not part of the country's governing coalition.
Another clip played showed white crosses on the side of a road, described as a memorial for white farmers who were killed.
Ramaphosa seemed baffled. "I'd like to know where that is, because this I've never seen."
Trump kicked off the meeting by describing the South African president as a "truly respected man in many, many circles." He added: "And in some circles he's considered a little controversial."
Ramaphosa chimed in, playfully jabbing back at a US president who is no stranger to controversy. "We're all like that," Ramaphosa said.
The South African president's delegation included golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, a gesture to the golf-obsessed U.S. president. Ramaphosa brought Trump a massive book about South Africa's golf courses. He even told Trump that he's been working on his golf game, seeming to angle for an invitation to the links with the president.
Luxury goods tycoon and Afrikaner Johann Rupert was also in the delegation to help ease Trump's concerns that land was being seized from white farmers.
At one point, Ramaphosa called on Zingiswa Losi, the president of a group of South African trade unions, who told Trump it is true that South Africa is a "violent nation for a number of reasons." But she told him it was important to understand that Black men and women in rural areas were also being targeted in heinous crimes.
"The problem in South Africa, it is not necessarily about race, but it's about crime," Losi said. "We are here to say how do we, both nations, work together to reset, to really talk about investment but also help 바카라Š to really address the levels of crime we have in our country."
Musk also attended Wednesday's talks. He has been at the forefront of the criticism of his homeland, casting its affirmative action laws as racist against whites.
Musk has said on social media that his Starlink satellite internet service isn't able to get a license to operate in South Africa because he is not Black.
Following the contentious exchange in front of the cameras, Trump hosted Ramaphosa for lunch and further talks.
Reaction
Ramaphosa, speaking to reporters following his White House visit, downplayed Trump's criticism, adding he believes "there's doubt and disbelief in (Trump's) head" about his genocide charge. He insisted they did not dwell on Trump's concerns about white farmers in their private conversation.
"You wanted to see drama and something really big happening," Ramaphosa told reporters following his White House visit. "And I'm sorry that we disappointed you somewhat when it comes to that."
Background
The U.S. president, since his return to office, has launched a series of accusations at South Africa's Black-led government, claiming it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing antiwhite policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy.
"People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety," Trump said. "Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they're being killed."
Ramaphosa pushed back against Trump's accusation.
The South African leader had sought to use the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
"We are completely opposed to that," Ramaphosa said of the behavior alleged by Trump in their exchange. He added, "that is not government policy" and "our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying."
Trump was unmoved.
"When they take the land, they kill the white farmer," he said.
Trump issued an executive order in February cutting all funding to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies. The order criticized the South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing antiwhite policies at home and supporting "bad actors" in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran.
Trump-Zelenskyy Deja Vu
This confrontation sounded a lot similar to what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy experienced during his February Oval Office visit, when the Ukrainian leader found himself being berated by Trump and Vice President JD Vance. That disastrous meeting ended with White House officials asking Zelenskyy and his delegation to leave the White House grounds.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine won't enter peace talks with Russia until it has security guarantees against another offensive.
Zelenskyy said that Trump - who insists Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to end the three-year grinding war - needs to understand that Ukraine can't change attitudes toward Russia on a dime.
President Donald Trump has said he wants an 바카라immediate바카라 ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, and warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to make peace or lose American support. Trump said he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched the invasion of Ukraine three years ago, is ready for a peace deal.
Zelenskyy urged the US administration to be more sceptical of the Russian leader's intentions.
Zelenskyy also called Russian President Vladimir Putin a terrorist and told Trump that Ukraine and the world need 바카라no compromises with a killer.바카라 바카라Even during the war there are rules,바카라 he added.
The heated exchange saw a frustrated Zelenskyy lectured by Trump and Vice President JD Vance over what they saw as his lack of gratitude for previous US support, while the officials in Moscow saw it as a final breakdown in relations between Washington and the Ukrainian leader.
(With AP inputs)
