Cyril Ramaphosa Lightly Reflects on Odd Meeting with Donald Trump
During a symposium, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa humorously recounted his recent puzzling encounter with Donald Trump at the White House. Trump made unverified claims about “white genocide” in South Africa and showed misleading footage to support this. The meeting was heavily criticized, revealing tensions surrounding race and governance in the country.
During the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium in Cape Town, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa reminisced comically about his recent meeting with former President Donald Trump. As he addressed the audience, he shared a humorous anecdote regarding the encounter, recalling, “When I came in, I saw the room going a bit dark. They darkened the room. And for a moment, I wondered, ‘What is this? It’s happening to me again,’” which elicited laughter from attendees.
The meeting at the White House took an unexpected turn when Trump displayed a video that he claimed depicted burial grounds for white farmers in South Africa, allegedly murdered by Black citizens in land disputes. Ramaphosa described how the atmosphere shifted as Trump ordered, “No, dim the lights,” interrupting their earlier amicable discussions, producing an awkward moment that further entertained the Cape Town crowd.
Trump’s claims during the Oval Office meeting fueled controversy, as they included unfounded assertions of “white genocide” by the Black-led South African government. However, fact-checkers soon determined that the footage Trump displayed did not portray burial sites of white farmers, but rather white crosses erected to memorialize a couple killed on their farm in 2020.
In the aftermath, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the video contained images of crosses representing people persecuted because of race, though she sidestepped questions regarding Trump’s misleading labeling of these as burial sites.
This bizarre encounter seemed to echo another controversial meeting Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier this year, in which Trump openly chastised him. Reflecting on such moments, Ramaphosa noted, “I must say, a number of people have said, ‘This was an ambush. This was an ambush.’ And I was bemused. I was saying, ‘What’s happening?’”
The Sunday Times, a well-known South African newspaper, did not hold back criticism, stating that Trump had “blindsided” Ramaphosa with his audacious claims. Alongside the video, Trump produced an American Thinker article to support his assertions. However, the accompanying image, which illustrated humanitarian workers lifting body bags, was incorrectly attributed to events in South Africa, having originated from the Congo instead.
Andrea Widburg, managing editor of American Thinker, confirmed the misidentification of the image used by Trump, but the White House has yet to respond to questions regarding this matter.
In summary, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with Donald Trump has drawn significant attention, not only due to Trump’s controversial claims but also due to the odd comedic spin Ramaphosa placed on the encounter. The dialogue around this meeting highlights broader tensions regarding race and governance in South Africa. The misrepresented visuals and claims have led to widespread criticism of Trump, underlining the importance of verifying information in political discourse.
Original Source: www.thedailybeast.com
