Among the topics addressed were the controversial issues ofland reform andfarm attacks in South Africa, the latter of which Trump claimed disproportionately affected white farmers.[2] Trump also confronted Ramaphosa with claims of "white genocide" againstAfrikaners in South Africa, which Ramaphosa, together with other members of the South African delegation, strongly denied.[1][3][4]
Ramaphosa intended to use the meeting to reset bilateral relations and negotiate a comprehensive trade deal to better address South Africa's economic and diplomatic challenges.[13] Arriving at the meeting, he brought a diverse group of figures, including prominent business leaders and sports figures, to strengthen his case while simultaneously providing himself a shield against a potential confrontation similar to what PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine had encounteredtwo months before in the Oval Office.[14]
Roughly twenty minutes into the meeting, after Ramaphosa told Trump to "listen to the voices of South Africans" to realize that there was no alleged genocide of Afrikaners, Trump signalled for his staff to dim the Oval Office lights so that a video compilation could be screened. The montage consisted of utterances made by South African opposition politiciansJulius Malema andJacob Zuma, including the singing of the controversial songDubul' ibhunu, which was described by certain media outlets as an attempt to "ambush" Ramaphosa.[18][19][20]
Trump later showed Ramaphosa a stack of news clippings which he claimed described farm murders in South Africa.[19][21] Ramaphosa asserted that South Africa is a democraticmulti-party nation, and that only a small minority of political figures have advocated violence.[22]
After being asked aboutthe Qatari jet that was given to the Pentagon, Trump scoldedNBC reporterPeter Alexander for asking an unrelated question and criticized NBC.[23][24][25] He also stated: "Brian Roberts and the people that run that place, they are to be investigated."[26] Ramaphosa interjected with an apology for not having a plane to gift Trump, to which Trump replied, "I wish you did."[27][18] During the meeting,Johann Rupert, a South African businessman who accompanied Ramaphosa, pleaded: "We need technological help. We needStarlink at every little police station, and we need drones".[28]
The following day, a screenshot Trump displayed during the meeting which he claimed had shown burials of white farmers was revealed to have been taken from aReuters video shot in theDemocratic Republic of Congo and published on February 3, 2025, following arebel offensive inGoma.[29][30]
Ramaphosa was commended by much of the South African press and public for his composure and courtesy under what was widely described as an "ambush".[31] However, some commentators and opposition figures criticized him for not responding more forcefully to Trump's provocations and for bringing prominent white business and sports figures, which some felt inadvertently reinforced Trump's narrative.[32][31][33] Some in South Africa expressed disappointment at the lack of a stronger rebuttal to Trump's claims while others praised Ramaphosa's restraint and diplomatic approach.[32][33] Ramaphosa's office deemed the visit overall as "successful", while the two countries remained in trade discussions, with Ramaphosa emphasizing a reset on bilateral relations.[13][34]
Following the meeting, Prime Minister of CanadaMark Carney's office released a statement saying that Carney and Ramaphosa "discussed the strong and growing partnership betweenCanada and South Africa, with increased co-operation in wildfire management, technology, and trade and investment."[35]
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