U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that no American officials will attend the upcoming G20 Summit in South Africa, citing alleged “human rights abuses” against white farmers — a claim widely dismissed by experts and international observers.
Trump made the statement on his Truth Social platform, accusing the South African government of allowing what he described as the “killing and slaughtering” of white Afrikaner farmers, and the “illegal confiscation” of their land.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. No U.S. Government official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue,” Trump wrote.
The announcement marks a reversal of his earlier plan for Vice President JD Vance to represent the U.S. at the summit later this month. The White House confirmed that the U.S. delegation has now been withdrawn entirely.
Trump reiterated his intention to host the 2026 G20 Summit in the United States, which he controversially plans to hold at his Miami golf resort in Florida.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has taken a hardline stance toward South Africa, repeatedly reviving the debunked narrative of a “white genocide” in the country. Earlier this year, he reportedly confronted President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Oval Office with a video alleging attacks on white farmers — a claim the South African government has strongly denied.
The strained relations between Washington and Pretoria have been further tested by South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, accusing it of genocide in Gaza — a move that drew Trump’s criticism.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration has announced plans to slash refugee admissions to a record low of 7,500 per year, while giving priority to white South African applicants — a decision that has sparked outrage among human rights advocates. In addition, the Trump administration has imposed 30% tariffs on South African imports, the highest rate in sub-Saharan Africa, adding to growing diplomatic tensions between the two nations
