Trump Announces U.S. Will Boycott G20 Summit in South Africa
President cites alleged human rights abuses against white farmers, rare diplomatic boycott signals escalating tensions with host nation.
WASHINGTON, Nov 8: U.S. President Donald Trump announced that no American government officials will attend this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa, citing alleged mistreatment of the country’s minority white farmers.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, claiming that Afrikaners descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers are facing violence, killings, and land confiscations. He added, “No U.S. Government Official will attend as long as these human rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!”
Trump had previously said he would not personally attend the summit, which convenes leaders from the world’s largest and emerging economies. His decision represents a rare diplomatic boycott by the United States of a major international forum, highlighting the administration’s increasingly confrontational stance toward South Africa.
The South African government has repeatedly rejected the allegations, noting that white South Africans continue to enjoy higher living standards than the Black majority decades after the end of apartheid. President Cyril Ramaphosa has described reports of widespread persecution of white farmers as “completely false.”
Trump’s announcement follows remarks he made earlier this week at an economic event in Miami, where he suggested that South Africa “should be thrown out of the G20” due to the alleged abuses.
Earlier in the year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, criticizing the forum’s focus on diversity, inclusion, and climate change. South Africa currently holds the rotating presidency of the G20, with the United States set to assume the role next year.
