South African President’s White House Clash May Have Worked
Wednesday’s explosive Oval Office meeting underlines that, for African leaders and beyond, the current US administration is all about the deal.
US President Donald Trump, right, and Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa's president, at the White House on Wednesday, May 21, 2025.
Photographer: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPAFew observers expected Wednesday’s meeting between South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump to go smoothly.
It didn’t disappoint, quickly descending into a confrontation that saw Trump push false narratives of white genocide in South Africa while a calm and poised Ramaphosa tried to debunk them and steer the conversation toward trade and diplomatic cooperation. The confrontation hogged the headlines, but Ramaphosa’s gambit may have worked: South Africa managed to get the US to pledge to continue engagement on trade and diplomacy.