Latest news with #TrumpRamaphosaMeeting
The Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald
Top five cringey moments from Ramaphosa's meeting with Trump
The meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday had several awkward moments that left many South Africans, including Ramaphosa and his delegation, embarrassed. Here are the top five cringey moments: 1. Trump's ambush with EFF leader Julius Malema's 'kill the Boer' video. Trump played a video of Malema singing the 'kill the Boer' song, catching Ramaphosa and his delegation off guard. While the video was playing, Ramaphosa visibility reacted and was seen clutching onto his chair, wiping his face and trying to interject to defend himself, while Trump interrupted him with claims of land confiscation in South Africa and killings of white farmers. Ramaphosa tried to explain that white farmers aren't the only ones being killed. 'There is criminality in our country. People get killed through criminal activity and they are not only white people. Most of them are black people,' Ramaphosa said. 2. Unverified burial sites of white farmers. Trump played a clip of what he claimed were burial sites of white farmers in South Africa, without providing any context or proof. 'These are burial sites of white farmers. It's a terrible sight, I've never seen anything like that,' Trump said. Ramaphosa looked shocked, asking where the sites were located, but none of his delegation seemed to know. 'I'd like to know where that is because this, I've never seen it,' Ramaphosa said. Trump then pulled out articles about farm murders, trying to support his narrative of white genocide. 3. Trump vs the journalist. When a journalist asked about a luxurious jet gifted to the US government by Qatar, Trump became defensive, telling the reporter to leave and accusing NBC of trying to change the subject. He criticised the journalist, saying they were 'not smart enough' to be a reporter and NBC was a 'terrible network'. 'You don't have what it takes to be a reporter, you're not smart enough. You ought to go back to your studio at NBC, you ought to be investigated. You're a disgrace, no more questions from you. You should be ashamed of yourself. You're such a bad reporter.' 4. Ramaphosa stepping in to answer for Trump. Asked what it would take for Trump to believe there's no white genocide in South Africa, Ramaphosa jumped in to answer, saying, 'It would take Trump listening to the voices of South Africans. I won't be repeating what I've been saying.' Ramaphosa added that if there were a genocide, the white members of his delegation wouldn't be present. Some people on social media welcomed his response, while others wanted to hear Trump's thoughts. 5. Trump dictating who Ramaphosa should bring to the meeting. Ramaphosa revealed that Trump had told him to bring renowned golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen to the meeting. Some South Africans felt Trump was overstepping, dictating who Ramaphosa should bring along. The delegation also included businessman Johann Rupert and minister of agriculture John Steenhuisen.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Body language reveals Trump's strategic approach to SA President
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had hoped that his first meeting with Donald Trump would be a chance to reset relations after months of attacks on his government by MAGA allies. The US President and Pretoria-born 'first buddy' Elon Musk have repeatedly accused Ramaphosa of being complicit in 'white genocide' in his country - an unfounded claim the South African delegation sought to debunk during the visit. Trump had previously cancelled aid to the country, expelled its ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, but officials had been hopeful that an invitation to Washington could mark a turning point. However what began as an unassuming greeting 'with the usual pleasantries' soon turned into a public takedown - with analysts drawing comparisons to Trump's explosive meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. As the meeting got underway, Ramaphosa's 'rictus smile' indicated that he expected some 'good-humoured diplomacy' and was unaware of the ambush that Trump had prepared, a body language expert has claimed. 'The White House was as rigged with traps as Kevin's house in Home Alone,' Judi James told MailOnline as she described how Trump has honed his skills when it comes to publicly dressing-down world leaders. 'Trump's body language showed he is a master craftsman now when it comes to keeping secrets,' she went on. 'There were none of the signals of anticipatory glee we see from Vance when he's about to throw killer questions out to world leaders like he did with Zelensky and Starmer.' By contrast, she said, 'Trump played what was almost the perfect poker face, discussing golf and performing a crinkled eye smile' during Ramaphosa's efforts to flatter him. She added that 'Trump's intro to the South African leader was perhaps the only clue to what was to come. 'When he described Ramaphosa as being 'considered controversial' in some circles he triggered an outbreak of wary-looking rituals of building unease or anxiety from Ramaphosa,' she said. At one point Trump asked aides to dim the lights in the Oval Office before playing a montage of clips which he purported to show evidence of 'white genocide' in South Africa. This was Trump's 'Goldfinger moment', James said, and left Ramaphosa 'squirming'. 'Ramaphosa looked from side to side and tried to talk but Trump pulled his attention to the screen, silencing him. 'As the videos ended Ramaphosa was in the pose of a man who is about to run off at the first chance. He performed an incongruent laugh and squirmed in his chair and hiked his pants in a truncated gesture. His verbal response was to ask Trump 'where it is because I've never seen it.' Trump declined to add details but growled that it was South Africa.' While body language experts have previously highlighted Trump's handshake as a device he uses to convey 'dominance', for example with France's Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, James said in this case his initial greeting to Ramaphosa 'was neutral in terms of superior power signals.' She said the two men 'adopted a mirrored, heads-tilted pose as they exchanged what looked like the usual pleasantries.' However throughout the meeting Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', James said. Disagreements between the pair on a range of subjects were also thinly-veiled, she added, with Trump seemingly playing to the press rather than paying attention to his South African counterpart at one point. 'While Trump spoke about 'Saving souls' Ramaphosa talked of peace and referenced learning from Mandella. 'Trump's head nodded in some form of mild agreement but his pursed lips gave a hint of grudging disagreement and at one point he placed his hand to the side of his mouth to mime an 'aside' to the press as Ramaphosa spoke.' Many have applauded Ramaphosa for maintaining his composure as Trump threw out barb after barb. South Africa's Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso applauded Ramaphosa for keeping his cool, rather than firing back at Trump. But while Ramaphosa tried to cast the meeting as a success, Nyhontso acknowledged that it had been 'uncomfortable to watch'. 'There is no genocide in South Africa... There is crime in South Africa like in other countries and this crime affects many people,' he told the BBC's Newshour programme. Analysts have also pointed out that he handled Trump's attacks in a similar way to how he deals with firebrand opposition politicians in South Africa 's parliament. Many have praised Ramaphosa's tactics after he brought South Africa's most senior white politician, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, along to the meeting. He referred some of Trump's questions about Afrikaans farmers to Steenhuisen, who in turn acknowledged South Africa had a 'real safety problem', adding that it required 'a lot of effort to get on top of it'. 'It is going to require more policing resources,' he said. Steenhuisen however dismissed the view that most white farmers were fleeing the country: 'Certainly, the majority of South Africa's commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work.' The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer.' 'Our government policy is completely against what [Malema] was saying, even in the parliament, and they're a small minority party, which is allowed to exist in terms of our constitution,' Ramaphosa said afterwards. 'But you do allow them to take land?' Trump then asked, to which Ramaphosa repeatedly insisted 'no'. Despite the obvious tensions, Ramaphosa said afterwards that the meeting had been 'a great success'. 'We've been able to achieve what we set out to achieve: to achieve re-engagement with the US, to put the issues of investment and trade on the table, and to ensure that we continue engaging through the various other formations,' Ramaphosa told reporters. Ramaphosa again pushed back against Trump's accusations and attempted to downplay his criticism, saying he believes 'there's doubt and disbelief in [Trump's] head' about the genocide claims.
Daily Mail
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The body language that proves Trump is the master of political ambushes: Expert breaks down South African president's humiliation in Oval Office 'rigged with more traps than Kevin's house in Home Alone'
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had hoped that his first meeting with Donald Trump would be a chance to reset relations after months of attacks on his government by MAGA allies. The US President and Pretoria-born 'first buddy' Elon Musk have repeatedly accused Ramaphosa of being complicit in 'white genocide' in his country - an unfounded claim the South African delegation sought to debunk during the visit. Trump had previously cancelled aid to the country, expelled its ambassador and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners, but officials had been hopeful that an invitation to Washington could mark a turning point. However what began as an unassuming greeting 'with the usual pleasantries' soon turned into a public takedown - with analysts drawing comparisons to Trump's explosive meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. As the meeting got underway, Ramaphosa's 'rictus smile' indicated that he expected some 'good-humoured diplomacy' and was unaware of the ambush that Trump had prepared, a body language expert has claimed. 'The White House was as rigged with traps as Kevin's house in Home Alone,' Judi James told MailOnline as she described how Trump has honed his skills when it comes to publicly dressing-down world leaders. 'Trump's body language showed he is a master craftsman now when it comes to keeping secrets,' she went on. 'There were none of the signals of anticipatory glee we see from Vance when he's about to throw killer questions out to world leaders like he did with Zelensky and Starmer.' Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', body language expert Judi James said By contrast, she said, 'Trump played what was almost the perfect poker face, discussing golf and performing a crinkled eye smile' during Ramaphosa's efforts to flatter him. 'Trump's intro to the South African leader was perhaps the only clue to what was to come,' she said. 'When he described Ramaphosa as being 'considered controversial' in some circles he triggered an outbreak of wary-looking rituals of building unease or anxiety from Ramaphosa. At one point Trump asked aides to dim the lights in the Oval Office before playing a montage of clips which he purported to show evidence of 'white genocide' in South Africa. This was Trump's 'Goldfinger moment', James said, and left Ramaphosa 'squirming'. 'Ramaphosa looked from side to side and tried to talk but Trump pulled his attention to the screen, silencing him as he tried to talk. 'As the videos ended Ramaphosa was in the pose of a man who is about to run off at the first chance. He performed an incongruent laugh and squirmed in his chair and hiked his pants in a truncated gesture. The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer' 'His verbal response was to ask Trump 'where it is because I've never seen it.' Trump declined to add details but growled that it was South Africa.' While body language experts have previously highlighted Trump's handshake as a device he uses to convey 'dominance', for example with France's Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney, James said in this case his greeting 'was neutral in terms of superior power signals.' She said the two men 'adopted a mirrored, heads-tilted pose as they exchanged what looked like the usual pleasantries.' However throughout the meeting Trump pulled a series of power moves which left Ramaphosa 'nervous' and 'uncomfortable', James said. She described Trump calling for the blinds to be closed and the screen to be activated to show the Afrikaners clips as a Many have applauded Ramaphosa for maintaining his composure as Trump threw out barb after barb. South Africa's Land Reform Minister Mzwanele Nyhontso applauded Ramaphosa for keeping his cool, rather than firing back at Trump. But while Ramaphosa tried to cast the meeting as a success, Nyhontso acknowledged that it had been 'uncomfortable to watch'. 'There is no genocide in South Africa... There is crime in South Africa like in other countries and this crime affects many people,' he told the BBC's Newshour programme. Analysts have also pointed out that he handled Trump's attacks in a similar way to how he deals with firebrand opposition politicians in South Africa 's parliament. Many have praised Ramaphosa's tactics after he brought South Africa's most senior white politician, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen, along to the meeting. He referred some of Trump's questions about Afrikaans farmers to Steenhuisen, who in turn acknowledged South Africa had a 'real safety problem', adding that it required 'a lot of effort to get on top of it'. 'It is going to require more policing resources,' he said. Steenhuisen however dismissed the view that most white farmers were fleeing the country: 'Certainly, the majority of South Africa's commercial and smallholder farmers really do want to stay in South Africa and make it work.' The videos Trump showed to the South African delegation included speeches from EFF leader Julius Malema, whose trademark song at rallies is 'Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer.' 'Our government policy is completely against what [Malema] was saying, even in the parliament, and they're a small minority party, which is allowed to exist in terms of our constitution,' Ramaphosa said afterwards. 'But you do allow them to take land?' Trump then asked, to which Ramaphosa repeatedly insisted 'no'.
BreakingNews.ie
21-05-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Trump hosts Ramaphosa as South African leader looks to salvage relationship
President Donald Trump is hosting South African president Cyril Ramaphosa for White House talks at a moment when relations between the two countries are strained. Mr Trump has been attacking South African officials on widely rejected charges of allowing a 'genocide' against minority white farmers. Advertisement South African officials have strongly pushed back against Mr Trump's accusation and Mr Ramaphosa sought the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States. The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994. Mr Ramaphosa was greeted by Mr Trump as he arrived at the White House shortly after noon for a lunch and Oval Office talks. President Donald Trump greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) Mr Trump has cut all US assistance to South Africa and welcomed several dozen white South African farmers to the US as refugees. Advertisement He has launched a series of accusations at South Africa's black-led government, including that it is seizing land from white farmers, enforcing anti-white policies and pursuing an anti-American foreign policy. Mr Trump issued an executive order in February cutting all funding to South Africa over some of its domestic and foreign policies. The order criticised the South African government on multiple fronts, saying it is pursuing anti-white policies at home and supporting 'bad actors' in the world like the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran. In advance of the meeting, a White House official said Mr Trump's topics of discussion with Mr Ramaphosa were likely to include the need to condemn politicians who 'promote genocidal rhetoric' and to classify farm attacks as a priority crime. Advertisement The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal planning, said Mr Trump also was likely to raise South African race-based barriers to trade and the need to 'stop scaring off investors'. Mr Trump falsely accused the South African government of a rights violation against white Afrikaner farmers by seizing their land through a new expropriation law. No land has been seized and the South African government has pushed back, saying US criticism is driven by misinformation. The Trump administration's references to the Afrikaner people — who are descendants of Dutch and other European settlers — have also elevated previous claims made by Mr Trump's South African-born adviser Elon Musk and some conservative US commentators that the South African government is allowing attacks on white farmers in what amounts to a genocide. Advertisement That has been disputed by experts in South Africa, who say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate. Elon Musk (Evan Vucci/AP) Secretary of state Marco Rubio on Tuesday said Mr Trump remains ready to 'reset' relations with South Africa, but noted that the administration's concerns about South African policies cut even deeper then the concerns about white farmers. South Africa has also angered the Trump White House over its move to bring charges at the International Court of Justice accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Mr Ramaphosa has also faced scrutiny in Washington for his past connections to MTN Group, Iran's second-largest telecom provider. It owns nearly half of Irancell, a joint venture linked with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mr Ramaphosa served as board chair of MTN from 2002 to 2013. Advertisement 'When one country is consistently unaligned with the United States on issue after issue after issue after issue, now you become – you have to make conclusions about it,' Mr Rubio told Senate Foreign Relation Committee members at a Tuesday hearing. With the deep differences, Mr Ramaphosa appeared to be taking steps to avoid the sort of contentious engagement that Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky experienced during his late February Oval Office visit, when the Ukrainian leader found himself being berated by Mr Trump and vice president JD Vance. Mr Musk is also expected to attend Wednesday's talks. Mr Musk has been at the forefront of the criticism of his homeland, casting its affirmative action laws as racist against whites. Mr Musk has said on social media that his Starlink satellite internet service is not able to get a licence to operate in South Africa because he is not black. South African authorities say Starlink has not formally applied. It can, but it would be bound by affirmative action laws in the communications sector that require foreign companies to allow 30% of their South African subsidiaries to be owned by shareholders who are black or from other racial groups disadvantaged under apartheid. The South African government says its long-standing affirmative action laws are a cornerstone of its efforts to right the injustices of the white minority rule of apartheid, which denied opportunities to blacks and other racial groups.
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Trump to meet with South African president amid tensions over aid, Afrikaners, Israel: Live updates
Donald Trump will host President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa at the White House today amid ongoing tensions between the two nations since the beginning of his administration. The president has criticized South African land reform, which aims to address the injustices of apartheid, as well as the genocide court case against Israel. Trump canceled aid to the country, expelled its ambassador, and offered refuge to white minority Afrikaners based on racial discrimination claims that Pretoria says are unfounded. Ramaphosa says no matter what, the U.S. and South Africa 'are joined at the hip and we need to be talking to them.' The U.S. is South Africa's second biggest trading partner after China. At today's lunch and Oval Office meeting between the two leaders, Ramaphosa's delegation will include luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert and champion golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Trump will be accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, who has accused Ramaphosa of pursuing anti-white policies, which Ramaphosa denies. A spokesperson for Ramaphosa has dismissed speculation that there could be a shouting match similar to the clash between Trump and Ukraine 's Volodymyr Zelensky in February. Good morning Welcome to our rolling coverage of today's meeting between President Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa, president of South Africa. Trump is set to greet his South African counterpart outside the White House at 11:30 a.m. ET this morning before a bilateral lunch in the Cabinet room. That will be followed by a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at 12:45 p.m. Joining the South African delegation will be luxury goods tycoon Johann Rupert and champion golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. Oliver O'Connell21 May 2025 14:43
