WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States will boycott this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit in South Africa, accusing the host nation of mistreating white farmers — a claim that has drawn international criticism and echoes of past controversy.
Trump declared on his social media platform that “no U.S. government officials” would attend the summit, calling it “a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa.” He alleged ongoing “abuses” against Afrikaners, citing violence, deaths, and land seizures targeting white farmers.
The president had already stated he would not personally attend the annual gathering of world leaders from major and emerging economies. Vice President JD Vance had been slated to represent the U.S., but sources confirmed that he, too, has cancelled his trip.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused South Africa’s government of turning a blind eye to attacks against the country’s white minority, despite experts and local authorities rejecting those claims. President Cyril Ramaphosa previously dismissed the allegations as “completely false,” noting that white South Africans continue to enjoy higher average living standards than the Black majority, even three decades after apartheid’s end.
South Africa’s government expressed surprise and disappointment at the renewed accusations, which it says misrepresent the country’s land reform and security efforts.
The boycott marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria. Earlier this week, Trump went further, saying during a speech in Miami that South Africa “should be thrown out of the G20 altogether.”
His administration’s stance follows a pattern of skepticism toward global forums emphasizing social and environmental priorities. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, criticizing its focus on diversity, inclusion, and climate change initiatives.
With the boycott now official, the U.S. absence from the high-level summit underscores Trump’s increasingly combative foreign policy posture — one that pits his administration against international institutions and long-standing allies alike.