‘A terrible sight’: Watch Trump confront South African president with persecution video

In his Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa today, President Trump showed a surprise video roundup of political leaders from that country calling for the death of white farmers, a longtime reality that recently resulted in white South African refugees arriving in the U.S.

Trump challenged the foreign leader with a stack of recent news stories about white South Africans being murdered and their farms being seized. Referring to a scene from the video showing white crosses, each representing a murdered South African, Trump said, “It’s a terrible sight.”

The video, entitled “Proof of Persecution in South Africa,” was posted on X by the White House:

? JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/rER1l8sqAU

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025

President Trump responded to a reporter’s question about the future of the relationship between the U.S. and South Africa:

REPORTER: If this Afrikaner resettlement issue is resolved, what is the potential for the future looking relationship for the United States?@POTUS: “It’s got to be resolved… it will be the end of the country if it’s not resolved.” pic.twitter.com/HTdZxHQw0V

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 21, 2025

Later, Trump asked Ramaphosa to explain how such persecution could continue, noting, “They happen to be white, and they happen to be farmers.”

President Trump: “You’re taking people’s land away from them and those people in many cases are being executed. They happen to be White and most of them happen to be Farmers. How do you explain that?” pic.twitter.com/jVv4QfALE4

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 21, 2025

President Trump asked his counterpart why those inciting violence against white South Africans are not arrested:

Reporter: “Do you denounce that type of language in the video that we saw?”

Ramaphosa: “Oh yes… We are completely opposed to that.”@POTUS: “But why wouldn’t you arrest that man? That man said ‘kill the white farmers’ and then he danced.” pic.twitter.com/tWwNpjsDht

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 21, 2025

WATCH: Trump meets with president of South Africa