The unsettling calculus of Trump’s attacks against South Africa
U.S. President Donald Trump hands over to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa copies of articles that he said showed white South Africans who had been killed, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. PHOTO | REUTERS
When critics assailed Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, I defended the principle: every leader should prioritise their nation’s interests.
When the US deported illegal immigrants, I agreed: borders can’t be open to every Tom, Dick and Harry of the world. But when Trump claimed “Genocide Against White Farmers” in South Africa, my pragmatism started to falter. White South Africans?
