President Trump’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa took an unexpected turn Wednesday when Trump showed a video filled with clips putting his counterpart on the spot over claims that white farmers are being persecuted in that country.

The Oval Office discussion between Trump and Ramaphosa started out cordially enough, but tensions escalated as the two got into a back-and-forth over Trump’s claims that the white farmers in South Africa are victims of a possible “genocide” at the hands of the country’s majority.

The meeting comes a week after the first group of white South Africans arrived in the U.S. following the Trump administration’s prioritization of the Afrikaner refugee resettlement program.

The meeting is the second time a foreign leader has been put in clear unease by the U.S. president. While Ramaphosa kept his composure and the meeting did not go off the rails like the infamous February meeting in the Oval Office between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the South African president was clearly put on his heels by Trump’s tactics.

Here are five takeaways from the meeting.

Trump spurs ‘white genocide’ debate with video

A video played in the Oval Office, with the lights dimmed down, just after Trump asked the media if they had questions for him and Ramaphosa. A reporter questioned the U.S. president on what it would take to convince him there is no “genocide” targeting white farmers, as he and other allies have claimed. 

Ramaphosa jumped in to say it would take Trump listening to the voices and perspectives of native South Africans, prompting the president to motion for an aide to queue up a video a sign that he and his team were prepared to defend their controversial claims. 

The roughly four-minute video, which the White House later shared on the social platform X, included clips of South Africans saying “kill the farmer” and chanting about shooting Afrikaners.

“This is very bad. These are burial sites right here … over a thousand of white farmers and those cars are lined up to pay love on Sunday morning, each one of those white things you see are a cross,” Trump said during a part of the video. “There’s approximately a thousand of them, they’re all white farmers.”

The South African leader weighed in on the burial sites, saying, “I’d like to know where that is. Because this I’ve never seen.”

Ramaphosa brings reinforcements 

Ramaphosa clearly came into the meeting with a plan to try to assuage Trump’s concerns and appeal to him on a personal level, bringing with him famous South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. 

He also brought a book that showcased golf courses in his country. Trump is known to be a big golf fan and a frequent player and referred to both players as friends.

“What a group of golfers South Africa’s had. There must be something in the water, right?” Trump said.

Goosen is a two-time U.S. Open champion. Els was the top-ranked player in the world for nine weeks and won four major championships.

Amid the intense discussion around whether white farmers were facing persecution, Trump appeared particularly interested in what the two golfers had to say, inviting both to speak.

Goosen recounted his experience growing up in a mostly rural part of South Africa, while Els appealed to Trump about the importance of the U.S.-South Africa relationship.

“[It’s] very important for us to have your support and, you know, get the change we need,” Els said.

Musk, Vance stay out of fray

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who is from South Africa, and Vice President Vance largely stayed out of the fray during the meeting.

Vance sat on the couch next to Trump and didn’t interject during the meeting, marking a difference in tone compared with that seen in the meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, when Vance stepped in to ask Zelensky to be more thankful to Trump.

While the video played, Trump appeared to whisper to Vance and the two looked over papers. Trump minutes later went through the papers in front of Ramaphosa.

“Look, these are articles over the last few days. Death of people,” Trump said, showing images of people. “Death. Death … white South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws.”

At one point, the president also suggested he didn’t want to drag Musk into the debate while the billionaire stood in the Oval Office behind Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listening along.

Musk has been vocal about “racist ownership laws” that prosecute Afrikaners. Trump has also fixated on South Africa over claims that the white ethnic minority has been unfairly targeted and signed an executive order in February pausing foreign assistance to South Africa over claims that the government there “radically disfavored landowners.”

Trump noncommittal on G20

South Africa is slated to host the Group of 20 (G20) gathering later this year of the world’s largest economies, but Trump’s frustration with Ramaphosa’s government has raised the possibility that the U.S. could boycott the event.

Trump was asked near the conclusion of the open press portion of Wednesday’s meeting whether he planned to attend the G20 meeting. And while both he and Ramaphosa spoke about the significance of the forum, and the importance of having the U.S. in attendance, Trump did not give a definite answer.

“I think without the United States, I really believe it’s not very important. It’s not the same meeting,” the president said.

Ramaphosa noted that he urged Trump during a previous phone call to attend the G20 meeting and visit South Africa for a state visit. The U.S. is slated to host the 2026 G20 gathering.

Trump earlier this month indicated he would skip the G20 meeting if his concerns about the treatment of white farmers were not addressed. The White House also directed agencies to pause their work related to the summit.

Qatari jet question sets off Trump 

As Trump and Ramaphosa were engaged in the Oval Office, the Pentagon was making official that it had accepted a luxury jet from Qatar to use as Air Force One.

The controversial move has drawn intense scrutiny from Democrats and Republicans alike who have cited security and ethics concerns. But Trump has been unmoved, arguing it would be foolish not to take the plane.

NBC News correspondent Peter Alexander drew Trump’s ire when he asked about the Qatari jet immediately after the video had concluded.

“What does this have to do with a Qatari jet? They’re giving the United States Air Force a jet, OK? And it’s a great thing,” Trump said.

“You’re a terrible reporter,” he told Alexander. “You’re not smart enough. But for you to go into a subject about a jet that was given to the United States Air Force, which was a very nice thing …you ought to go back to your studio at NBC.”

As tensions simmered later in the meeting, Ramaphosa referenced the plane in response to some of Trump’s complaints.

“I am sorry I don’t have a plane to give you,” Ramaphosa said.

“I wish you did. I’d take it,” Trump replied. “If your country offered the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it.”