South African president Cyril Ramaphosa refused to take the bait when Donald Trump falsely accused his nation of committing white genocide, in what his spokesperson dismissed as “an orchestrated show for the cameras”.
Ramaphosa remained composed and suggested the two leaders “talk about it very calmly” as Trump ambushed him with a video making the untrue allegations that white Afrikaners in South Africa were victims of genocide.
“President Ramaphosa came here not for a TV show, he came here to discuss with President Trump in earnest how we can reset the strategic relationship between South Africa and the US,” Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, told South African TV station Newzroom Afrika.
Ramaphosa was more cordial after the meeting, insisting “it went very well”. He added that he expected Trump to attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg in November, as the US is due to take over the group’s presidency in 2026.
“I want to hand over the presidency of the G20 to President Trump in November, and I said he needs to be there,” he said. “I don’t want to hand over the presidency of the G20 to an empty chair.”
Trump calls treatment of Afrikaners ‘the opposite of apartheid’
At the White House meeting, Trump said that treatment of white people in the country was like “the opposite of apartheid”. Trump has long maintained that Afrikaners, a minority descended from mainly Dutch colonists who ruled South Africa during its decades of racial apartheid, are being persecuted. South Africa rejects the allegation. Murder rates are high in the country and the overwhelming majority of victims are Black.
Trump accepts jet from Qatar
The Trump administration accepted the controversial gift of a Boeing 747 jetliner from the government of Qatar, and directed the air force to assess how quickly the plane can be upgraded for possible use as a new Air Force One. The offer of the jet has set off a firestorm of bipartisan criticism of Trump, particularly after the president’s visit to the country last week to arrange US business deals.
Trump says he’s ‘seriously considering’ taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public
Trump said he will make a decision in the near future about taking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac public. The companies are the backbone of the US housing market and together support about 70% of US mortgages. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are doing very well, throwing off a lot of CASH, and the time would seem to be right. Stay tuned!”
White House violated order by trying to deport migrants to South Sudan
A federal judge ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s attempt to deport migrants to South Sudan was “unquestionably violative” of an injunction he had issued earlier. Judge Brian E Murphy made the remark at an emergency hearing he ordered in Boston after the Trump administration’s apparent deportation of eight people to South Sudan.
Mahmoud Khalil blocked from holding son for first time by Ice, lawyers say
Mahmoud Khalil, the detained Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist, was not allowed to hold his newborn son after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials refused to allow a contact visit between him and his family, his lawyers said on Wednesday. Instead, Khalil was forced to meet his month-old baby for the first time behind glass at a Louisiana detention facility, where he has been detained since March.
George Washington University student banned after pro-Palestinian graduation speech
A student has been banned from campus at George Washington University after she used her graduation speech to criticize the university’s ties to Israel and express support for Palestinians. The graduating senior, Cecilia Culver, delivered her remarks to nearly 750 students.
Justice department moves to cancel police reform deals
The justice department moved on Wednesday to cancel a settlement with Minneapolis that called for an overhaul of its police department after the murder of George Floyd, as well as a similar agreement with Louisville, Kentucky, after the death of Breonna Taylor, saying it does not want to pursue the cases. It comes amid pressure on the right to recast Floyd’s murder, undermine diversity efforts and define liberal-run cities like Minneapolis as crime-ridden.
What else happened today:
Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman from Virginia who previously served as the top Democrat on the House’s key oversight committee, died at age 75.
Target sales fell more than expected in the first quarter, and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025 year as its customers pull back on spending.
The US Senate passed the No Tax on Tips Act after the Nevada senator Jacky Rosen brought the bill up for a unanimous consent request.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 20 May 2025.
