Trump dims Oval Office lights for dramatic confrontation with South Africa’s Ramaphosa Details of the meeting

On May 21, 2025, what was expected to be a routine diplomatic meeting at the White House between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa quickly escalated into a tense showdown.

Instead of focusing on trade and investment talks, Trump sharply accused South Africa of committing a “genocide” against white farmers, igniting a heated diplomatic confrontation, Caliber.Az reports.

According to eyewitness accounts, Trump ordered the lights in the Oval Office to be dimmed as he played a striking five-minute video featuring fiery speeches from South African politicians, including Julius Malema, that appeared to call for violence against white farmers. Alongside the video, Trump presented articles and graphic images he claimed evidenced the systematic persecution of white South Africans. Among the visuals were white crosses, which Trump said symbolised the graves of murdered white farmers.

Trump did not stop there. He asserted that “thousands of white South Africans are currently seeking asylum in the U.S. and revealed he had fast-tracked refugee status for more than forty applicants fleeing the country".

Despite the sharp accusations, President Ramaphosa kept his composure. He stressed that the materials Trump showed did not reflect official South African government policy. Ramaphosa pointed out that Julius Malema, whose words were featured prominently, had been expelled from the ruling party back in 2011 and that his views do not represent the government’s position. The South African leader also reminded that crime in his country impacts all racial groups, not just white farmers.

In response to the accusations, Ramaphosa emphasised South Africa’s commitment to tackling crime and economic challenges through cooperative trade and investment efforts. He noted that, according to official statistics, the majority of crime victims in South Africa are black citizens — a reality that contradicts the “white genocide” narrative.

This dramatic encounter isn’t an isolated incident in the Trump White House. Back in February 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faced similarly sharp criticism from Trump, which cut their meeting short and sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles.

By Tamilla Hasanova