President Donald Trump has officially barred South Africa from participating in the upcoming 2026 G20 summit. He cited alleged human rights violations, claiming that these abuses have led to the targeted killings of ‘white people’ in the nation. On Friday morning, Trump took to social media to explain his decision, stating, “The United States abstained from attending the G20 in South Africa because the South African Government fails to acknowledge or address the severe human rights infractions faced by Afrikaners and other European-descendant communities.” He further announced, “As per my directive, South Africa will not receive an invitation to the 2026 G20, set to occur in the vibrant city of Miami, Florida.”

The president’s decision follows his indignation over reports suggesting that South Africans are targeting the Afrikaner minority. He had previously directed his administration to skip last week’s G20 summit in Johannesburg due to these concerns. Trump has accused the South African government, led by Cyril Ramaphosa, of allowing what he terms a ‘white genocide,’ a claim that Ramaphosa has consistently refuted. During a meeting in May in the Oval Office, Trump confronted Ramaphosa with videos and images purportedly depicting these alleged atrocities. However, South African crime data does not indicate any systematic or genocidal targeting of Afrikaners. The nation’s high murder rate primarily affects Black South Africans, who constitute the majority of the victims.

The controversy is fueled by a video montage including clips of speeches by Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a political party with communist leanings. Malema is known for using inflammatory rhetoric, such as the chant “Shoot the Boer, Shoot the farmer,” during his rallies. Despite ongoing disagreements between Malema and Ramaphosa, Trump maintains, “To be blunt, white individuals are being killed, and their lands are being seized at random,” reiterating his decision to exclude South Africa from the 2026 G20. South African officials, independent bodies, and international media have consistently dismissed allegations of a ‘white genocide’ as unfounded and fictitious.

In addition, the president announced that the G20 member would no longer receive aid from the US. ‘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.’ The US obligated $564 million for the country in FY2024, according to USA Facts, and $103 million for FY2025. The Trump administration also pulled funding for the country in its crackdown on USAID earlier this year.

Taking a shot at his lifelong foes, the president also accused the New York Times and the ‘Fake News Media’ of not issuing ‘a word against this genocide.’ ‘That’s why all the Liars and Pretenders of the Radical Left Media are going out of business!’ The latest road bump with the country happened during the G20 last week. Typically, the G20 ceremony concludes with a gaveling out ceremony and the handover of control to the country that will host the annual meeting next.

Since the US boycotted the session in South Africa, no US official received the gavel. Though Trump claims there was a US representative there and that Ramaphosa willingly chose not to pass off the gavel. ‘At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our U.S. Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony,’ Trump alleged.

That went against a previous statement from the president, however. ‘No US Government Official will attend as long as these Human Rights abuses continue,’ Trump posted earlier this month before the G20.