Watch: When Trump ambushed South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa during a live press conference, just like he did with Zelensky

In a scene reminiscent of his controversial interaction with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during a live media appearance at the White House on Wednesday.

The meeting, initially cordial, quickly turned tense when Trump directed staff to play a video claiming to depict evidence of a “white genocide” in South Africa — a long-debunked allegation that South Africa’s government has strongly rejected.

Ramaphosa, visibly composed but largely silent, watched the video without interruption. At one point, he commented, “I'd like to know where that is, because I’ve never seen these videos.”



Trump then presented printed news articles that he claimed showed evidence of attacks on white South African farmers. “Death, death,” he said, flipping through the pages in front of the press.

When Ramaphosa attempted to address the broader crime issue in South Africa, noting that “the majority of victims are Black,” Trump interrupted: “The farmers are not Black.”

Ramaphosa replied diplomatically, “These are concerns we are willing to talk to you about.”


The confrontation highlighted rising tensions between the U.S. and South Africa. In recent months, Trump has criticized South Africa’s land reform policies, canceled aid programs, expelled the country’s ambassador, and even offered asylum to white Afrikaners — citing what he called “racial persecution,” claims South Africa strongly denies.

Pretoria has dismissed Trump’s rhetoric as “inflammatory and inaccurate,” pointing instead to the country’s painful legacy of apartheid and the need for restorative justice through land reform.

The stakes are high for South Africa, which counts the U.S. as its second-largest trading partner after China. The recent aid cuts have already impacted health programs, including a decline in HIV testing.

Trump's handling of the meeting has drawn both domestic and international attention, with critics accusing the U.S. president of using sensitive racial issues as political ammunition.

What Happened with Zelensky?

On February 28, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance held a tense, televised meeting in the Oval Office with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ongoing U.S. support amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The session was also expected to conclude with the signing of a critical Ukraine–United States Mineral Resources Agreement.

However, the meeting devolved into an openly hostile exchange, with Trump and Vance repeatedly interrupting and criticizing Zelenskyy during the final ten minutes, often speaking over him. The confrontation ended without resolution, and the Ukrainian delegation was asked to leave the White House—with their untouched lunch still on the table.

Media outlets described the encounter as an unprecedented diplomatic breakdown between an American president and a foreign leader.