President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with video footage alleging mass killings of White farmers.

Trump Shows Graphic Footage at White House Meeting

During a high-profile meeting at the White House on Wednesday, President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with video footage purporting to show the graves of over a thousand White farmers allegedly killed in South Africa. The footage included rows of white crosses along both sides of a road, symbolizing what Trump described as widespread violence targeting Afrikaner farmers.

“These are burial sites right here,” Trump said, narrating over the footage. “Each one of those white things you see is a cross. And there is approximately a thousand of them. They’re all White farmers… and those cars aren’t driving, they are stopped there to pay respects.”

Visibly taken aback, Ramaphosa asked, “Have they told you where that is, Mr. President? I’d like to know where that is. Because this I’ve never seen.” Trump responded, “I mean, it’s in South Africa, that’s where,” to which Ramaphosa replied, “We need to find out.”

Debate Over Afrikaner Refugee Claims

Earlier in the meeting, Trump asserted that many White South African farmers were fleeing the country and seeking refuge in the United States, calling the trend “very sad.” He added, “We had a tremendous number of people, especially since they've seen this. Generally, they're White farmers, and they're fleeing South Africa.”

According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, 50 Afrikaners were recently flown into the U.S. as refugees, with “more to come.” However, the South African government strongly denies any accusations of systemic persecution or genocide against White farmers.

“If there was an Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here,” Ramaphosa said, referring to members of his delegation, including his agriculture minister. He emphasized that firsthand testimonies from his team should provide clarity. “It will take President Trump listening to their stories, to their perspectives—that is the answer to your question.”

Unresolved Tensions and Global Implications

When asked directly by a reporter what he expected Ramaphosa to do about the situation depicted in the video, Trump admitted uncertainty. “I don’t know. I don’t know,” he said. He then presented a stack of recent articles as further evidence of alleged violence. “Death of people. Death. Death. Horrible death,” he said while flipping through the papers. “White South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws… So when you say, what would I like to do? I don’t know what to do.”

The exchange marked a rare public clash between the two leaders, casting a spotlight on the politically sensitive topic of race-based land reform and farm attacks in South Africa. It also raised questions about how refugee claims and foreign policy are influenced by anecdotal evidence and emotionally charged narratives.