Trump Presents Videos Alleging Genocide Against South African White Farmers to Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa refutes Trump’s claims that white farmers are being subjected to genocide after he confronts him with recordings in the Oval Office.

US President Donald Trump’s contentious claims of violence against white farmers in South Africa caused a sudden turnabout in a high-stakes meeting between him and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office.

During their media appearance, Trump provided a number of images, videos, and news clips to back up his claims that white South African farmers were “fleeing” the nation and what he called a targeted campaign of violence. He described the footage, which purportedly showed a white victim burial site, and stated, “It’s a terrible sight, never seen anything like it.”

The South African government had never approved violence against any racial group, according to Ramaphosa, who was clearly unexpected. A video of opposition politician Julius Malema singing the divisive term “shoot the Boer,” which refers to white farmers, prompted him to say, “Those chants you hear are not government policy.”

Trump would need to hear the voices of South Africans—your friends in the room right now—in order to come to the conclusion that there is no white genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa said in response to the question. They would not have been present with this delegation in the event of a genocide.

As Trump quickly turned to pre-prepared videos—an unprecedented move for the Oval Office—to bolster his allegations, tensions increased. Flipping through a pile of written papers and pictures of suspected victims, he narrated the video at one point and pressed the South African delegation for clarification. “We’re going to discuss it,” he stated firmly.

Trying to gather his thoughts, Ramaphosa noted that the video was devoid of context. “Mr. President, have they told you where that is?” he inquired in reference to one of the videos. When Trump said he was unsure, Ramaphosa said, “I’ve never seen it before, so I’d like to know where it is.”

The Premier of South Africa then emphasized that despite being a democracy, criminal violence affects individuals of all colors. He stated, “Black people are among those killed in South Africa, not just white people.”