WASHINGTON, D.C. — A high-stakes Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday took a contentious turn, as the two leaders sparred over inflammatory claims of “white genocide” in South Africa.
The dispute emerged during a joint press briefing when a reporter questioned the recent U.S. decision to grant refugee status to a group of white South Africans. President Trump responded by airing video clips he claimed supported allegations that white farmers were being systematically targeted and murdered over land ownership disputes.
“Each one of those white things you see is a cross, and there are approximately a thousand of them. They’re all white farmers,” said Trump, gesturing toward video footage shown on a screen in the Oval Office. One of the clips included inflammatory rhetoric referencing violence against white individuals.
President Ramaphosa firmly rejected the portrayal, emphasizing that the clips shown by Trump featured opposition rhetoric, not official government policy. He criticized the framing of the issue and challenged the U.S. president to engage with a broader spectrum of South African voices.
“I would say if there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture. He would not be with me,” Ramaphosa said. “It’ll take him, President Trump, listening to their stories, to their perspective.”
The South African leader also pushed back on Trump’s accusation that the government is confiscating land from white farmers under the country’s land reform initiative.
“No, no, no, no. Nobody can take land,” Ramaphosa stated, clarifying that the Land Expropriation Without Compensation policy is designed to address historical land inequities without promoting racial violence or unlawful seizure.
The Trump administration has previously expressed concern about South Africa’s land policies, and earlier this year suspended certain aid to the country, citing alleged human rights violations. Trump again reiterated during Tuesday’s meeting that the South African government was “allowing” farmland seizures that result in violence.
“You do allow them to take land, and then when they take the land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them,” Trump asserted.
Ramaphosa rejected that characterization, stating that most victims of South Africa’s high crime rate are black South Africans and that no state-sanctioned violence or land seizures are taking place.
Also present at the meeting was Elon Musk — the South African-born CEO of Tesla and a vocal supporter of Trump — who has publicly echoed the “white genocide” claim in the past. Musk has aligned himself with the narrative that Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch and French settlers, are under threat — a position widely discredited by human rights organizations and international observers.
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have consistently dismissed the claim of genocide against white farmers in South Africa, citing a lack of evidence and warning against politicizing isolated crimes for ideological gain.
The conversation comes shortly after the U.S. approved refugee status for 59 white South Africans, citing their claims of persecution and targeted violence. The move sparked debate both in South Africa and abroad.
“We all know as South Africans, both black and white, that there’s no genocide here,” Ramaphosa said in closing. “We are not genocidal. We are not committing any act of hatred, act of retribution or violence against anyone.”
As diplomatic relations face renewed strain, the controversy highlights the intersection of domestic political narratives and international policy, particularly in an era of increased scrutiny over immigration, human rights, and racially charged rhetoric.
