Trump Confronts Ramaphosa Over ‘Afrikaner Genocide’ in Oval Office Meeting

‘We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa,’ Ramaphosa told Trump during the bilateral meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa talk to each other during a press availability in the Oval Office at the White House on May 21, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa clashed during a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, with Trump presenting what he said was evidence of violence and systematic targeting of white farmers, an accusation Ramaphosa rejected.

The tense exchange occurred as diplomatic tensions grow over allegations that South Africa has discriminated against white farmers, engaged in “white genocide,” and has deepened its ties with Hamas and Iran.