Trump withdraws invitation to South Africa for 2026 G20 summit over 'white genocide'

President Donald Trump announced Wednesday on Truth Social that South Africa will not be invited to the 2026 G20 summit, to be held in the city of Miami, in retaliation for what he called "human rights abuses" and "genocide" against Afrikaners and white farmers in the African country.

According to President Trump, the South African government "refuses to acknowledge or address the horrific Human Right Abuses endured by Afrikaners, and other descendants of Dutch, French, and German settlers."

He further stated, "To put it more bluntly, they are killing white people, and randomly allowing their farms to be taken from them."

The president further announced that all U.S. payments and subsidies to Pretoria were formally suspended: "Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami, Florida next year. South Africa has demonstrated to the World they are not a country worthy of Membership anywhere, and we are going to stop all payments and subsidies to them, effective immediately."

A diplomatic clash on the rise

The Republican president's decision included several additional elements that undoubtedly raised tensions.

This month, The United States boycotted the G20 held in Johannesburg altogether, after Trump publicly denounced the treatment of white farmers as "genocide" to the South African president himself,Cyril Ramaphosa, last May, when the Trump Administration granted refugee status to dozens of white South Africans, despite the fact that United States reduced the overall number of refugees from other countries.

That move was celebrated by tycoon Elon Musk-born in Pretoria-and by conservative sectors denouncing the persecution of white farmers.

At the close of this month's summit, Washington attempted to send a representative from its embassy to receive the traditional passing of the gavel, instead of Trump himself, who had announced that no members of his government would go to the summit. South Africa, however, considered the gesture as an insult and a serious breach of protocol, so it did not formally pass the gavel; a decision that undoubtedly led to the retaliation announced Wednesday by the U.S. president.