In a moment that left the press corps stunned, President Donald Trump on Wednesday forced South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to confront a viral video montage of violent threats against white South African farmers — then dared the media to air it live.
CNN refused.
During their Oval Office meeting, Trump aired a compilation video showing members of South Africa’s minority opposition party calling for the murder of Boers, a term referring to white Afrikaner farmers. The clips included chants about “cutting their throats” and “killing the Boers,” interspersed with images of white farmer burial sites and mourners in caravans paying their respects to loved ones lost to racially motivated killings.
As the montage played, CNN anchor Dana Bash and her panel abruptly cut away from the live feed, speaking over the visuals and calling the presentation an “ambush” orchestrated by Trump’s team. The screen showed their commentary instead of the video — though audio continued for a few seconds before being fully cut.
“This is clearly a well-orchestrated effort,” one panelist noted, clearly perturbed by the rare visual coming from the Oval Office. “They brought screens — there aren’t usually TVs in there. This was deliberate.”
CNN rejoined the live broadcast just as Ramaphosa responded to the footage. The South African president denied that any of the rhetoric in the video reflected his government’s policy, a claim Trump and others at the meeting did not accept.
Trump, speaking alongside Ramaphosa, described the montage as undeniable proof that white South African farmers are being “persecuted and exterminated.”
“Burial sites. Right here. Over a thousand white farmers,” Trump said, narrating one clip. “Each one of those white crosses marks a family torn apart. That’s not a protest. That’s genocide.”
The president pointed out that U.S. officials had already begun admitting white South Africans as refugees. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that 50 Afrikaner refugees were flown to the U.S. last week, and more are expected in the coming months.
White House advisor Elon Musk, who is originally from South Africa, was present for the meeting and has been increasingly vocal about racial discrimination in the country. Last week, Musk posted that South Africa’s race-based land policies amounted to “Apartheid with a new name” and called for an end to what he described as “institutional anti-white racism.”
After the meeting, Musk reposted a clip of CNN cutting away from the video with the caption: “They want you blind.”
The video itself, now circulating widely on social media, has been watched over 30 million times in under 12 hours. Many critics have blasted CNN for cutting away during the most impactful portion of the Oval Office event, accusing the network of protecting Ramaphosa from scrutiny and shielding viewers from the harsh realities Trump was highlighting.
“CNN cut the feed because the truth didn’t match their narrative,” said one user on X. “This is journalism malpractice.”
Ramaphosa remained calm during the meeting, a contrast to past leaders who have clashed with Trump. But the president’s decision to air the montage on live television marked one of the most aggressive diplomatic moments of his second term so far — and it’s already making global waves.
With Trump pushing to end all U.S. aid to countries that practice racial or religious discrimination, Ramaphosa faces enormous pressure. His African National Congress is under scrutiny not just for failing to curb anti-white violence, but also for its support of Hamas, close ties with China and Russia, and its recent legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
“This isn’t just about South Africa,” a senior administration official told reporters afterward. “It’s about whether America will keep funding regimes that traffic in hate.”
Trump’s message to Ramaphosa — and to the world — was clear: if you tolerate racial violence, don’t expect U.S. tax dollars to keep flowing. And no matter how much CNN wants to mute the message, the footage speaks for itself.
