United States President Donald Trump on Friday announced that no US official would attend this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa. He cited what he described as the mistreatment of white farmers in the country as the reason for the decision. Earlier this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also boycotted a G20 meeting for foreign ministers due to its focus on diversity, inclusion, and climate change initiatives. The United States is set to assume the G20 presidency from South Africa.
Although Trump had already stated he would not personally attend the annual gathering of the world’s largest economies, Vice President JD Vance, who was expected to represent the US will also skip the summit, AP reported.
---Advertisement---
Why is Trump skipping the G20 Summit in South Africa?
In a post on Truth social, Trump condemned the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, calling it “a total disgrace.” He claimed that Afrikaner, people descended from Dutch, French, and German settlers are being killed and their land and farms illegally confiscated. Trump stressed that no US government official would attend the summit as long as these human rights abuses continue. However, he also expressed his anticipation of hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida.
---Advertisement---
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Afrikaners (People who are descended from Dutch settlers, and also French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No US Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump alleges mistreatment of white farmers in South Africa
Trump has stated mistreatment of white farmers in South Africa as the reason for not attending the summit. Notably, this isn’t the first time that the Trump administration has attacked the South African government over this issue. Trump has frequently accused the South African government of mistreating minority white Afrikaner farmers. When it limited the number of refugees allowed into the US to 7,500 annually, the administration indicated that most of these refugees would be white South Africans, citing discrimination and violence against them in their home country.
South Africa responds
While Trump has suggested that South Africa should be removed from the G20 completely, South African officials have rejected the allegations. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that he has told Trump that information about the alleged discrimination and persecution of Afrikaners is "completely false."