The set-up that flopped: Trump tried a Zelensky moment with Ramaphosa while targeting South Africa over Israel

When South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa arrived in the White House on 21 May to meet President Donald Trump everyone was expecting a confrontational exchange; a kind of Zelensky moment as happened last February which ended in a shouting match between Trump and Zelensky with the latter being asked to leave the White House.

That did not happen with Ramaphosa either because he was prepared for the worst, to the surprise of his host, or because Trump and his team failed to anticipate how Ramaphosa would perform and refute their claims against his country. They trap did not go quite as planned. President Trump apparently wanted to ambush his guest in a spectacular theatrical show mainly for media consumption and headline grabbing. 

Mr Ramaphosa was indeed ambushed by Trump but the skilled negotiator denied Trump a total victory thanks to his composed and quiet style and ability to tell Trump, in his face, that he has been a victim of fake news about South Africa. In many cases, Trump seemingly allowed himself to be misled because he did not want to know the truth.

On the whole, the visit went well and the South African team managed to open trade negotiations with the US on various topics, including duty free South African export to the US and its imports of US gas as the country tries to transition to cleaner energy—a long-term government objective. 

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President Trump had been criticising South Africa as early as his first term. In August, 2018, he Tweeted that he has directed his then Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to closely “study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers.” Mr Trump cited Fox News talk show, hosted by Tucker Carlson, in which he criticised Pretoria’s land reform policy while calling on the State Department to weigh on the issue. 

It was a rare intervention by the US in a purely domestic issue of another country. Trump has always shown a willingness to meddle in the domestic affairs of foreign countries, including allies.

At the time Pretoria was pursuing a long-term policy of remedying some of the atrocious apartheid era land policies that appropriated land to white farmers at the expense of the majority black and coloured population. Even today in post-apartheid South Africa, land reform policies continue to dominate political debates in the country.

Less than a month into his second term Trump signed his Executive Order 14204 Sections 2 to 4, which effectively sanctioned South Africa while suspending all the financial assistance Pretoria used to receive, particularly for health programs including the country’s successful fight against Aids.

Section 1 of the Executive Order is revealing because it has to do with a third party without any apparent US interest being served. In justifying issuing the order it says “South Africa has taken aggressive positions towards the United States and its allies.” The only ally named as being aggressively pursued by Pretoria is Israel. Why? South Africa took apartheid Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

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The camouflage: The Order did also cite Pretoria’s warming of relations with Tehran. That, however, is only part of the camouflage and a cover since many US allies and partners including India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia maintained even stronger diplomatic and commercial ties with Tehran and Trump did not target them with punitive measures like South Africa. Besides, Trump seems to forget, if he ever knew, that Hamas is not a state and ICJ deals only with states.

The Israeli factor: with an ego as big as his, Donald Trump always defends Israel and take pride in being the best American president serving Israel. He has long boasted that he is the best friend and ally of Israel and of Jews inside and outside Israel. He has even accused his Jewish opponents of betraying Judaism by opposing him. In August, 2019, he accused any American Jew who voted for a Democrat as betraying Judaism, “Israel and the Jewish people”.  In December that year, he said “”Israel has never had a better friend in the White House than me.” In October 2023, he said “I fought for Israel like no president ever before” and in March, 2024, he said “I was the best president in the history of Israel.” 

When South Africa as a matter of principle and in line with international law file a case of genocide against Israel at ICJ that seemed too much for Trump’s transactional mind to comprehend. South Africa for him had crossed a red line and might even cost him support inside the US; given the fact that he counts on the pro Israeli lobby including its religious based groups.  Evidently, Trump wants to be number one in loyalty to Israel, even more loyal than his friend Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. When Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden after his election victory in 2020, Trump exploded in rage. He accused him of being disloyal and said; “The first person who congratulated [Joe Biden] was Bibi [Benjamin] Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with.” Notwithstanding, when criminal Netanyahu was indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court Trump signed his Executive Order on 6 February [2025] imposing sanctions on the court. 

One month later, the US administration took the rare step of expelling the ambassador of South Africa, Ebrahim Rasool, purportedly for criticising President Trump. Of course, the underlying and real reason was Pretoria’s position against Israel at the ICJ.  Consequently, Trump’s claim that he is pro justice in South Africa and against the alleged “genocide” of the white minority in that country is not only patently false but also extremely misleading. Surely Pretoria’s position against the Israeli genocide in Gaza was the main reason behind Trump’s failed attempt to ambush President Ramaphosa in a Zelensky-style shouting match.

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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.