In one of the most tense and politically charged Oval Office meetings in recent memory, President Donald Trump directly confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over what he described as the “ongoing persecution and genocide” of Afrikaner farmers in South Africa. The moment, dramatic and confrontational, was punctuated by Trump playing a video showing Julius Malema—leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party—chanting “Kill the Boer” at a political rally, followed by images of alleged mass graves of white farmers.
As the footage played, Ramaphosa looked away, visibly uncomfortable. Trump remained stone-faced, then held up printed articles which he claimed provided proof of the targeted killing of Afrikaner farmers. “I don’t know how it can get any worse,” he said, underscoring his belief that South Africa is turning a blind eye to race-based violence.
In the Oval Office, @POTUS confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s denial of the shocking treatment his country’s white farmers are facing with video evidence.
Watch the video and ensuing discussion in its entirety: pic.twitter.com/SXh5L3i5AN
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 21, 2025
Ramaphosa responded by calling the chant “deeply concerning” but stressed it came from a minority party not reflective of government policy. Trump was unpersuaded. “When they take the land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them,” he said. Ramaphosa countered that violent crime affects all races in South Africa, but Trump cut back in: “The farmers are not black… Their heads chopped off. They died violently.”
It wasn’t just a verbal back-and-forth—it was a full ideological clash over race, land reform, and the question of political intent behind South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which allows the government to seize land without compensation. Trump labeled the act a violation of property rights and issued an executive order in February cutting aid to South Africa and declaring U.S. support for resettling displaced Afrikaners.
So you’re saying they get murdered at an astronomically higher rate than the rest of the population.
And you don’t see the problem there? Really? https://t.co/hGypu2gzqe
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) May 21, 2025
That policy materialized earlier this month when 59 Afrikaner farmers arrived in the U.S. under a fast-tracked resettlement program, igniting domestic debate. While Democrats have dismissed the idea that Afrikaners face racial persecution, the Trump administration—and its allies—argue otherwise. Secretary of State Marco Rubio drove that point home during a Senate hearing, saying, “These are people whose farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin.”
Ramaphosa, attempting to strike a more diplomatic tone, proposed discussing the broader “criminality” in South Africa privately and urged Trump to partner with the nation to tackle rural violence. He also pointed to the inclusion of white officials like Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen in his government as evidence that his administration does not promote racial bias.
MSNBC’s Wallace: “Donald Trump meeting with the president of South Africa & attempting to ambush & humiliate that leader inside the Oval Office. But what he did instead was embarrass & humiliate the people of the United States of America. Again.” pic.twitter.com/3fatz45K9W
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) May 21, 2025
Steenhuisen, a prominent white South African opposition figure who joined Ramaphosa’s coalition to prevent more radical elements from gaining power, said that the majority of white farmers “want to stay,” and are seeking security, not exile.
But the most explosive moment came when Trump asked point-blank: “Why wouldn’t you arrest that man?”—referring to Malema, who has called for white South Africans to be expelled and even killed. Ramaphosa offered no clear answer, instead reiterating that Malema’s rhetoric was not government policy.
CNN says the South African chants to kill White Farmers need “historical context”
You don’t hate legacy media enough! pic.twitter.com/W0wqbNZ01m
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 21, 2025
In Trump’s view, the matter is about moral clarity and national sovereignty: protecting lives and granting refuge. “They happen to be white, but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me,” he said last week, pushing back on accusations of racial favoritism.
