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Shock and anger in South Africa after Oval Office ambush
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa keeps his cool after a carefully choreographed Oval Office ambush by Trump.
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President Donald Trump meets South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci/AP
toggle captionEvan Vucci/APJOHANNESBURG — "All in all it was awful but it could have been worse," was how one South African newspaper summed up President Cyril Ramaphosa's extraordinary Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Many South Africans – including those in the government delegation – had feared a repeat of February's heated exchange between Trump and and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
But despite what another newspaper called "serious provocation" by Trump – which included the dramatic moment he asked for the lights to be dimmed and played a lengthy montage of video footage purporting to prove "white genocide" – Ramaphosa kept his cool.
The South African leader, who was a protégé of Nelson Mandela, has experience intense negotiations. He was one of the key mediators in the talks that ended South Africa's apartheid in 1994.
Most South African media as well as many social media users are praising him for remaining calm and polite throughout what's widely being called the ambush by Trump, though some wished he'd hit back harder.
"Who among us did not also secretly yearn to see Ramaphosa fight back a little more?" asked writer Rebecca Davis in the Daily Maverick newspaper.
Ramaphosa himself tried to put a positive spin on things at a press briefing later on Wednesday. He said behind closed doors, at the lunch that followed the Oval Office drama, things had gone well. Trump might still attend the G20 in Johannesburg later this year, he said, adding they had also had good trade talks.
"I know that many South Africans were filled with concern and fear that we will have a 'Z' moment," the president said, apparently referring to Zelenskyy, "and all that did not ensue."
He added that he was sorry to disappoint the South African press corps who had travelled to Washington and wanted to see some drama, prompting one reporter to say: "Mr. President … I don't know what constitutes drama in your book, but that was very dramatic." Another reporter told Ramaphosa he deserved a stiff drink.
Debunking DisinformationDespite the South African delegation's attempts to explain the facts to the U.S. leader, Trump again and again repeated a right-wing conspiracy theory that there is systematic persecution and "genocide" of white South Africans. And used disinformation to support his allegations.
He misrepresented a video showing a protest, where people placed white crosses in a field to commemorate a farmer and his wife who were murdered in a 2020 home robbery, as a "burial site." South African news site News24 said there are no bodies at the site and the number of crosses do not relate to the number of murders.
Trump also played clips of two controversial South African opposition politicians – who in no way speak for the government – singing songs from the struggle against apartheid, including one called "kill the Boer" – which means Afrikaaner or farmer.
The one politician, firebrand Julius Malema, heads a flailing opposition party that won just over 9% of the vote at the last elections. Trump asked why he wasn't arrested. In fact Malema was taken to court on charges of hate speech for singing the song at rallies, and the Constitutional court ruled the singing of the song was protected by freedom of speech.
Malema seems to have delighted in his 15-minutes of Oval Office fame, posting dismissively on X: "A group of older men gathered in Washington to gossip about me."
Finally, Trump handed Ramaphosa a bunch of printed articles that he said showed "death, death, horrible death." News outlets in South Africa, as well as the AFP news agency, studied the articles and found some were from partisan blogs and unsubstantiated online sources.
One article Trump held up, saying it was about "white farmers being burned" was in fact about the Democratic Republic of Congo.
South African businessman Johann Rupert, left, and South African golfers Retief Goosen, center, and Ernie Els, right, look on as President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House. Evan Vucci/AP
toggle captionEvan Vucci/APAbout those golfersWhatever one's take on the meeting, it's undeniable it's been dominating much of social media. White South African rightwing groups – and MAGA commentators – applauded Trump for repeating their talking points on race relations, while some far-left groups denounced Ramaphosa for bringing white South African businessmen and white star golfers along to the meeting.
Ramaphosa and Trump are both avid golfers, and the presence of former World Number 1 Ernie Els and two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen was a tactic the South African team hoped would diffuse any tensions at the meeting. Els is a personal friend of Trump's and is reported to have helped Ramaphosa get the White House meeting.
Also present was South Africa's richest man, business mogul Johann Rupert, also white and Afrikaans and a friend of both presidents.
Rupert won some praise from South African media for telling Trump "it's not only white farmers" who are victims of violent crime "it's across the board," and stating that non-whites were in fact the biggest victims. Ramaphosa's white Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen, also challenged Trump, telling him most white farmers wanted to remain in South Africa.
But the golfers angered many.
Els seemed to support Trump's narrative of white persecution, referring to the apartheid era but adding: "I don't think two wrongs makes a right." He also thanked the U.S. for supporting South Africa during its war with Angola – but as X users were quick to point out, that support had been for the old apartheid regime. "Ernie Els is worse than an apartheid apologist," one X user wrote.
A Daily Maverick journalist wrote that the men were talented golfers but "what the hell do they have to do with international relations?" South African media asked Ramaphosa after the meeting if the golfers should not have been better prepped. He defended them as patriots, but admitted they could have been.
What is particularly galling to many though, is Trump's derisive treatment of the head of state of a constitutional democracy. Several local newspaper articles pointed out he doesn't treat authoritarian leaders with dubious human rights records like he treated the South African president.
 — A look at some of the top men at the French Open, which starts at Roland-Garros on Sunday, with money-line odds via BetMGM Sportsbook:
Jannik Sinner
Seeding: 1
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Italy
Age: 23
2025 Record: 12-1
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 3 — Australian Open (2: 2024, 2025), U.S. Open (1: 2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Lost in Semifinals, 2023-2nd Round, 2022-4th, 2021-4th, 2020-QF
Aces: Returned at the Italian Open from a three-month doping ban he agreed to after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed his exoneration in the case. ... Reached the Rome final but 26-match winning streak dating to last season ended with loss to Carlos Alcaraz. ... Won his second consecutive Australian Open in January. ... Lost to Alcaraz in five sets in last year's semifinals in Paris.
He Said It: “I’m 23 years old, and I am not perfect. I know that I have things still to improve. I have certain areas where I can get better. That’s why we work.”
Read All About It: Jannik Sinner's playing style draws comparisons to Novak Djokovic
Odds Are: +190
Carlos Alcaraz
Seeding: 2
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Spain
Age: 22
2025 Record: 30-5
2025 Titles: 3
Career Titles: 19
Grand Slam Titles: 4 — French Open (1: 2024), Wimbledon (2: 2023, 2024), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Won Championship, 2023-SF, 2022-QF, 2021-3rd, 2020-Did Not Play
Aces: His title at Roland-Garros a year ago made him, at 21, the youngest man in tennis history to win at least one major championship on three surfaces. ... 4-0 in Grand Slam finals. ... Got an Olympic silver medal after losing the final to Novak Djokovic in Paris. ... Missed the Madrid Open with problems in both legs but then won the Italian Open, beating Sinner for the title. ... Tweaked his service motion in the offseason to try to get more precision and a consistent rhythm.
He Said It: When you feel like you can’t miss, you can do whatever you should do, everything is going to be in — that’s the most satisfaction … that I feel on court. You hit great shots, running forehand, drop shots, volley, serve and volley. Everything that you want to do, you feel like it’s going to be right.
Read All About It: Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have a real rivalry atop men's tennis
Odds Are: +105
Alexander Zverev
Seeding: 3
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Germany
Age: 28
2025 Record: 24-9 (Entering the German Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 24
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2024), Australian Open (2025), U.S. Open (2020)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-Runner-Up, 2023-SF, 2022-SF, 2021-SF, 2020-4th
Aces: Now 0-3 in major finals, losing to Dominic Thiem at the U.S. Open — after leading 2-0 in sets — to Alcaraz at the French Open — after leading 2-1 in sets — and to Sinner at the Australian Open. ... Had a chance to move up to No. 1 while Sinner was serving his suspension, but Zverev kept losing early in tournaments, going 6-6 in one stretch.
He Said It: “I don’t want to end my career as the best player of all time to never win a Grand Slam, that’s for sure. I’ll keep doing everything I can to lift one of those trophies.”
Read All About It: Zverev falls to 0-3 in Slam finals with loss to Sinner in Melbourne
Odds Are: +1600
Jack Draper
Seeding: 5
Career-Best Ranking: 5
Country: Britain
Age: 23
2025 Record: 22-6
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 3
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Semifinals, U.S. Open (2024)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-1st, 2023-1st, 2022-DNP, 2021-DNP, 2020-DNP
Aces: Enjoying a real breakthrough season, including a Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells and a run to a Masters 1000 final on red clay at Madrid, along with a rise into the top 10. ... Only the second left-hander — Rafael Nadal is the other, of course — to reach the top five since 2000. ... Fitness issues from early in his career seem to be behind him. ... Never won a French Open match.
He Said It: “I feel like I’ve been sort of building towards this. And so I feel like I've been improving a long time.”
Read All About It: Jack Draper beats Holger Rune in the Indian Wells final
Odds Are: +3300
Novak Djokovic
Seeding: 6
Career-Best Ranking: 1
Country: Serbia
Age: 38
2025 Record: 12-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: Zero
Career Titles: 99
Grand Slam Titles: 24 — French Open (3: 2016, 2021, 2023), Australian Open (10: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023), Wimbledon (7: 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022), U.S. Open (4: 2011, 2015, 2018, 2023)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-QF, 2023-Q, 2022-QF, 2021-W, 2020-RU
Aces: Recently split from coach Andy Murray. ... After stopping at the Australian Open with a hamstring injury, resumes his bid to become the first player with 25 Grand Slam singles trophies. ... 2024 was his first season without at least one Slam trophy since 2017. ... Won an Olympic gold medal for Serbia last year in Paris. ... Pulled out of the French Open midway through the event after tearing his right knee's meniscus. ... Ended a three-match losing streak this week.
He Said It: “It’s not like I’m worrying approaching every Grand Slam now whether I’m going to get injured or not, but statistics are against me, in a way, in the last couple of years.”
Read All About It: Djokovic strives to get another major championship after his latest injury
Odds Are: +1200
Casper Ruud
Seeding: 7
Career-Best Ranking: 2
Country: Norway
Age: 26
2025 Record: 24-7 (entering Geneva Open)
2025 Titles: 1
Career Titles: 13
Grand Slam Titles: Zero — Best: Runner-Up, French Open (2: 2022, 2023), U.S. Open (1: 2022)
Last 5 French Opens: 2024-SF, 2023-RU, 2022-RU, 2021-3rd, 2020-3rd
Aces: Earned his first Masters 1000 title on Madrid’s clay for his biggest trophy. He had been 0-6 in title matches at Grand Slam tournaments, Masters and the ATP Finals. ... Made it to at least the semifinals in Paris each of the past three years, including runner-up finishes against Nadal and Djokovic.
He Said It: “In many ways, my career has gone better than maybe I thought was possible sometimes.”
Read All About It: Casper Ruud had Slam chances against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 U.S. Open final
Odds Are: +2800
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich %23genevaopen)
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