President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were involved in a back and forth in the White House on Wednesday on Trump’s fake claims about the “genocide” of South African white farmers.
President Donald Trump met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House Oval Office in Washington, May 21, 2025.
Evan Vucci/AP
In a rare scene on the Oval Office, Trump turned on the lights to play videos on a TV monitor which he said supported his accusations. Ramaphosa looked surprised by ambush and sometimes said he had not seen what was aired. The video source that is played is still unknown.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and President Donald Trump watched as a video played at the White House Oval Office, May 21, 2025 in Washington.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Trump also raised what he said was a news article about the attack of violence against white farmers Afrikaner.
“I don’t know, all of this is an article for the past few days, death of people, death, death, death, terrible death,” Trump said.
Trump claims that the white people of South Africa “run away because of violence and racist law.”
“This is a kind of opposite of Apartheid. What is happening now is never reported. Nobody knows about it,” he added.
President Donald Trump showed a new article when he met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House Oval Office in Washington, May 21, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP Via Getty Images
Ramaphosa pushed back, saying the speech clip played by Trump “was not a government policy.” He and other members of the South African delegation said their speakers and views were part of the extremist periphery political group.
“There is crime in our country. People who are killed, unfortunately, through criminal activities are not only white people, the majority of them are black people,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African leader said he would make Trump “listen to the voices of South African” to change his view. The South African government strongly accused genocide.
“I will say that if there is a genocide for Afrikaner farmers, I can bet you these three men will not be here, including my Minister of Agriculture,” Ramaphosa said. “He will not be with me. So, it will bring him, President Trump, listening to their story, to their perspective.”
Sometimes, sometimes, Ramaphosa tries to direct the talks to return to trade and economic investment, which is said to be “the real reason to be here.” But Trump continues to talk about the treatment of the White South African.
But when pressed on what he wanted Ramaphosa and his government to do, Trump admitted, “I don’t know.”
President Donald Trump met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House Oval Office in Washington, May 21, 2025.
Jim Watson/AFP Via Getty Images
Elon Musk, a native of South Africa and the President’s main advisor during his second term of office who also strengthened the fake claims of the white genocide, “was present for the Ramaphosa visit to the White House.
Musk was seen standing behind the sofa and did not speak during the exchange between Ramaphosa and Trump.
“Elon is from South Africa. I don’t want to involve him,” Trump said. “That’s all I have to do. Take him to something else. But Elon happened to come from South Africa.”
“This is what Elon wants,” Trump said, chuckling.
Elon Musk attended a meeting between President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House Oval Office in Washington, May 21, 2025.
Evan Vucci/AP
Dozens of refugees Afrikaner arrived in the US last week after their application was tracked quickly under the executive command issued by Trump in February entitled, “Overcoming the terrible actions of the Republic of South Africa.”
The order argues that the South African government passed the law that allowed him to “seize the ethnic minority of Africaners’ agricultural property without compensation” in “surprising neglect of the rights of citizens.” This instructed that the US would not provide assistance or assistance to the nation, and that the US “promoted the re -settlement of Afrikaner refugees.”
The law ratified by South Africa quoted by the administration aims to overcome the land injustice set during the apartheid. State land can be taken over for the public interest and in most cases must be subject to compensation, the amount that must be approved by the owner or approved by the court. Experts say the law is comparable to similar laws throughout the world regarding the leading domain.
Ramaphosa previously said that the White South African who were recalled in the US “did not match the definition of refugees” – someone who left their country for fear of being persecuted based on race, religion, nationality or political affiliation.
The first few groups of South African white people gave refugee status holding the US flag when they attended the meeting and greeting, at Dulles International Airport, in Dulles, Virginia, May 12, 2025.
Saul Loeb/AFP Via Getty Images
Trump has been studied to prioritize Afrikaner when moving to limit immigration from other places, including from Afghanistan, Venezuela and Haiti.
State Secretary Marco Rubio was asked to maintain an administrative position while testifying before the senate panel on Tuesday.
“I think 49 people who came really felt they were persecuted, and they passed all kinds of check marks that needed to be examined,” Rubio said. “The President identifies it as a problem and wants to use it as an example.”
Senator Democratic Democratic Team from Virginia said she was sure that there was a persecution of Afrikaner farmers “really useful” and recorded the US not to let the blacks of South Africans during the apartheid.
“I think the United States has the right to allow to this country and prioritize the allowance who they want to enter,” Rubio answered.
ABC News’ Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.