By Christopher Young,
Contributing Writer,
It was hard to watch. There was just a feeling from the onset that this would be another installment of – How Can This Be Happening. Just like with the Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on February 28, 20025, the President of the United States single-handedly found ways to sink to new lows in diplomacy, decorum, and basic decency. The price America is paying for his attitudes, laid bare by his behaviors, continues to rise.
Imagine the President of South Africa, leader of the 24th largest country in the world, traveling to Washington to attempt to reduce tensions that have been mounting for months, and to improve overall bilateral relations, only to be met by an ambush – Trump claiming white genocide under President Ramaphosa, and then dimming the lights and showing a five-minute montage of photos, video, and articles to support his position. Just one glitch – all of it was false, manufactured – propaganda. As reported by Time Magazine, even professional golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, as well as billionaire South African businessman Johann Rupert – all white – on hand in the meeting at the request of President Ramaphosa, attesting that white genocide is not going on in their country. President Ramaphosa handled the ambush calmly and directly. He was prepared – highly knowledgeable of Trump’s ways and knows well what impresses him – he brought him a gift of a 30-pound book of photographs of South Africa’s golf courses.
The United States skipped a G20 meeting in Johannesburg in February of this year. Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared on social media, “I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg. South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change.” He added: “My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism.” Also in February, a South African court ruled that claims of a white genocide were “clearly imagined” after blocking a wealthy benefactor’s donation to the white supremacist group Boerelegioen, per https://time.com. Cape Town Today wrote at the time, “Judge Rosheni Allie’s ruling shows how important it is to protect the nation’s commitment to a peaceful and inclusive society. This decision reminds everyone that South Africa must keep fighting against the shadows of its past while aiming for a brighter future.”
In March, Rubio expelled the South African Ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool, calling him “a race-baiting politician who hates America” and hates the President. Rasool had previously said that Trump was leading a white supremacist movement in the U.S. during a webinar. This followed a Trump Executive Order citing the South African Expropriation Act of 2024, enacted in January 2025, saying it enabled Ramaphosa’s government “to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.”
For Trump to think he can succeed in falsely labeling the South African government as perpetrators of white genocide, and attempt to bully President Ramaphosa along the way, reveals so much to the world. Of course, he is attempting to dismantle any and all forms of diversity, equity, and inclusion! He doesn’t believe in diversity – just look at his cabinet. He doesn’t believe in equity – just look at who the insiders were at his inauguration. He doesn’t believe in inclusion – a white supremacy mindset doesn’t acknowledge the need.
Alternately, it was Cyril Ramaphosa who was anointed by Nelson Mandela to negotiate the repeal of 40+ years of apartheid rule in South Africa and usher in a democratic government – he succeeded. The argument could easily be made that there are few people who are more knowledgeable, experienced, and tested than Ramaphosa when it comes to the evils of racism and white supremacy, how to navigate those systems, and how to deal with leaders of those systems. He comes from the lion’s den, with a long history of fighting the foundational ideology of separating different races in South Africa, where the roughly 8% of white Afrikaners welded racist power over an 80% Black population. Even now, only 4% of land in South Africa is owned by Black South Africans.
Over time Ramaphosa rose in business and government. When President Jabob Zuma resigned after nine years as President in February 2018, Ramaphosa was elected President to fill the remainder of the term. Then in May 2019, he was reelected with 57.50% of the vote, unlike Trump who has never achieved 50% of the popular vote.
There are no guardrails any longer at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – unchecked rages of power lawlessness, and indecency are now the norm. Longtime award-winning journalist Thomas B. Edsall, recently wrote about the degradation of the U.S. Presidency. “The targets of Trump’s assaults include the law, higher education, medical research, ethical standards, America’s foreign alliances, free speech, the civil service, religion, the media and much more…. Some of the damage Trump has inflicted can be repaired by future administrations, but repairing relations with American allies, the restoration of lost government expertise and a return to productive research may take years — even with a new and determined president and Congress.”
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