Donald Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa Clash at the White House

Recently, former U.S. President Donald Trump had a tense exchange with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. Now, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also found himself in a heated discussion with Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office on May 21.

The disagreement began when Ramaphosa joked about a luxury jet gifted to Trump by Qatar, stating, "I don’t have an expensive plane to give you." Trump responded sharply, saying he would gladly accept a plane from South Africa if offered.

Tensions escalated when Trump accused South Africa of white farmer killings. He showed Ramaphosa a video allegedly depicting white farmers' graves and articles claiming targeted murders. Ramaphosa strongly rejected the claims, stating, "Crime exists in South Africa, but most victims are Black." Trump interrupted to assert that the killings were not of Black individuals, increasing the tension in the room.

Despite the heated exchanges, both leaders managed to keep the situation under control. Unlike Trump’s meeting with Zelensky, which ended abruptly, this meeting concluded without incident. Ramaphosa later told reporters the discussion was productive and positive.

During the same session, a reporter questioned Trump about the ethics of accepting a $400 million jet from Qatar. Trump reacted angrily, calling the reporter shameless and dismissing the inquiry. Ramaphosa joked, "I don’t have such an expensive jet to offer Trump."

Cyril Ramaphosa has served as the President of South Africa since February 2018 and has been the head of the African National Congress since 2017. He is regarded as one of South Africa's most influential political figures.