U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that no American officials will attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, reigniting his discredited claims that white Afrikaners are being “killed and slaughtered” in the country.
Trump made the announcement on his Truth Social platform, calling the decision to host the summit in South Africa “a total disgrace.”
“No U.S. Government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” he wrote.
The president alleged that Afrikaners — descendants of early European settlers — are victims of widespread killings and illegal land seizures, echoing long-debunked conspiracy theories of a so-called “white genocide.”
Trump had previously stated in September that Vice President JD Vance would represent the United States at the meeting, but has now said the U.S. will boycott the summit entirely.
He also confirmed plans to host the 2026 G20 summit in the United States — controversially at his own golf resort in Miami, Florida.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has maintained a combative stance toward South Africa, repeatedly targeting President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration. Earlier this year, he reportedly ambushed Ramaphosa during an Oval Office meeting by playing a video alleging a government-backed campaign against white farmers — a claim South Africa’s government has strongly denied.
Trump’s renewed remarks come amid growing diplomatic friction between Washington and Pretoria. The two countries have clashed over South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, and over Trump’s imposition of a 30-percent tariff on South African goods — the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Adding to the controversy, Trump’s administration last week unveiled a plan to slash U.S. refugee admissions to a historic low of 7,500 per year, while prioritizing white South Africans for acceptance — a policy widely criticized as racially discriminatory.
Trump’s latest comments have drawn global backlash, with analysts warning that the move could further strain U.S.–Africa relations and isolate Washington within the G20 bloc ahead of the 2026 summit.
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