Trump Presents Misleading Evidence of ‘White Genocide’ to South African President
During a high-stakes meeting at the White House on Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump presented what he claimed was evidence of a “white genocide” in South Africa—claims that were swiftly discredited, as many of the visuals he used were proven to be either inaccurate or unrelated to South Africa.
Among the materials shown to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa were images reportedly depicting the mass murder of white South African farmers. One such image, held up by Trump, was described as showing a burial of white victims. However, fact-checking by Reuters revealed that the photo was actually taken in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, and showed humanitarian workers handling body bags following conflict involving M23 rebels. The photo had originally appeared in a Reuters report from February.
Trump also presented a video during the Oval Office meeting that purportedly showed the graves of over a thousand white farmers. In reality, the footage was from a temporary memorial installation near Newcastle and Normandien in South Africa, created to honor two murdered farmers. The memorial was not a cemetery, as Trump claimed, but a symbolic display meant to draw public attention, according to its organizer, Rob Hoatson.
This attempt to illustrate a so-called genocide coincided with Trump’s proposal to offer “refuge” to white South African farmers, a move that has sparked criticism from the South African government. Officials maintain that the narrative of a targeted genocide against white farmers is a baseless conspiracy theory often spread by far-right groups.
The video also prominently featured Julius Malema, leader of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), known for his provocative statements and his support for radical economic reforms. Trump misleadingly portrayed Malema as a government figure, implying that his controversial slogans, such as “cut the throat of whiteness” and the chant “Kill the Boer, kill the farmer,” represented official South African policy. In truth, Malema’s EFF secured only 9.5% of the vote in the most recent national election, and he holds no government office.
President Ramaphosa and his delegation explicitly distanced themselves from Malema and his views. John Steenhuisen, South Africa’s agriculture minister and a member of the centrist Democratic Alliance, reminded Trump that their governing coalition was formed in part to prevent politicians like Malema from gaining power.
Ramaphosa’s visit to Washington was aimed at improving strained relations with the U.S., which have been exacerbated by Trump’s ongoing criticisms of South Africa’s land policies, foreign alignments, and treatment of its white minority accusations South Africa strongly rejects.
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