Trump’s Ambush of Ramaphosa Leaves South Africa Reeling
Donald Trump during a meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa, in the Oval Office of the White House.
Photographer: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomgery
South Africans watched aghast on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump berated their leader in the Oval Office over false claims that there’s a genocide against White people in the country.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was upbeat ahead of his White House meeting, but the tone quickly shifted as Trump confronted him with a video and printouts of media reports purporting to back up his claims. Vincent Magwenya, Ramaphosa’s spokesman, called it a “well-orchestrated, well-planned” ambush, and it confirmed some advisers’ fears that he would face a Volodymyr Zelenskiy-style dressing down.