In a tense Oval Office meeting on May 21, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with allegations of a so-called "white genocide" targeting Afrikaner farmers in South Africa. The encounter, originally intended to strengthen bilateral trade relations, was overshadowed by Trump's presentation of videos and articles purporting to show violence against white South Africans.

Trump, accompanied by South African-born adviser Elon Musk, dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to display a five-minute video featuring inflammatory rhetoric from political figures like Julius Malema. He claimed the footage evidenced state-sanctioned persecution of white farmers, asserting that they were "fleeing" due to violence and discriminatory land reform policies.

President Ramaphosa responded firmly, emphasizing that the individuals featured in the video did not represent official government policy. He highlighted that crime in South Africa affects all citizens, with the majority of victims being Black South Africans. Ramaphosa stressed that the government's land reform initiatives aim to address historical injustices from the apartheid era and are not targeted against any specific group.

The meeting also touched on the recent U.S. decision to grant refugee status to 59 white South Africans, a move Ramaphosa criticized as misrepresenting the realities of his country. He noted that these individuals do not meet the international criteria for refugee status, which requires a well-founded fear of persecution.

Despite attempts to redirect the conversation to economic cooperation, the dialogue remained focused on the contentious issue of alleged racial persecution. Trump's actions have drawn criticism from various quarters, with experts and human rights organizations refuting the existence of a "white genocide" in South Africa. Data indicates that farm attacks are part of broader criminal activity and not indicative of targeted ethnic violence.