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Watch: Trump confronts South African president

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Just what is it with Oval Office encounters? Three months after his spat with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump is at it again. The US President ambushed a visiting Cyril Ramaphosa today, playing footage that appeared to show white South Africans being persecuted. Trump ordered aides to dim the lights and play a video showcasing what he called a ‘genocide’ of white farmers in the country.

Turning to Ramaphosa, his South African counterpart, Trump said people ‘were fleeing’ while demanding an ‘explanation’ for what he said was a ‘very sad situation’. ‘We have thousands of stories talking about it, we have documentaries, we have news stories… it has to be responded to,’ Trump said. Narrating over the footage, he continued:

These are burial sites right here, over a thousand of white farmers and those cars are lined up to pay love on a Sunday morning. Those cars aren’t driving. They’re stopped there to pay respects to their family member who was killed, and it’s a terrible sight.

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Steerpike
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Steerpike

Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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