Zelensky-Style White House Showdown: Ramaphosa's Strategy Backfires
In a tense Oval Office meeting, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempt to steer President Trump away from false claims of white genocide went dramatically awry.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed a social media video showed ‘burial sites’ of white farmers. It didn’t. In a White House meeting on Wednesday, President Trump showed President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa a social media video of a rural road lined with white crosses and hundreds of vehicles. Mr. Trump told Mr. Ramaphosa that the footage showed “burial sites” of “over 1,000” white farmers in South Africa. A New York Times analysis found that the footage instead showed a memorial procession on Sept. 5, 2020, near Newcastle, South Africa. The event, according to a local news website, was for a white farming couple in the area who the police said had been murdered in late August of that year. The crosses were planted in the days ahead of the event and were later removed. The misrepresentation of the footage took place during a stunning meeting in which Mr. Trump made false claims about a genocide against white farmers. Mr. Trump dimmed the lights to play the footage, presenting it as evidence of racial persecution against white South Africans. As the clip played, Mr. Trump said: “These are burial sites right here. Burial sites. Over a thousand of white farmers.” Contrary to Mr. Trump’s statements, the crosses are not gravesites for farmers and were not permanently placed along the road. Footage posted to social media before the remembrance event, in early September 2020, shows people setting up the white crosses, and Google Street View images from 2023 indicate they have since been taken down. There have been a number of protests against the killing of white farmers in South Africa. White crosses are known to be used at these events to represent slain farmers. Videos and photos at the Sept. 5 event also showed tractors adorned with flags condemning farm murders and a large banner reading, “President Ramaphosa, how many more must die???” stretched between two vehicles above the roadway. South Africa has an exceptionally high murder rate, but police statistics do not show that white South Africans or farmers are more vulnerable to violent crime than other people - NYT
My comment: World leaders are learning in real time how to navigate what I call the “Contortionist-in-Chief.” Dealing with a U.S. president who has a short attention span and a tendency to lash out unpredictably is never easy. But the Oval Office confrontations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — and now South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa — will be closely analyzed by leaders preparing for their own White House visits. They would be wise to study them carefully. This is especially true if we begin to accept that what we’re witnessing — whether it’s erratic behavior in the Oval Office, denial-driven governance on Capitol Hill, or the continual undermining of the judicial system — is not an aberration, but the new normal. If asked, I would urge students of Trump’s “tantrum diplomacy” to also examine the visits of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. Both combined flattery with well-timed, strategic interventions — a subtle but instructive playbook for dealing with the unpredictable dynamics of today’s Washington.
Two staff members from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed outside an event at a Jewish museum in the capital, police said Wednesday. Shortly after 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, as an event by the pro-Israel advocacy group American Jewish Committee wrapped up at a local Jewish museum in downtown D.C., a man was observed "pacing back and forth" outside of the building, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith told reporters. The man approached a group of four people then opened fire, Smith said. Two people were killed — a man and woman who were a couple, officials said. Afterward, the shooter entered the museum and was detained by event security, Smith said. "The suspect chanted 'Free, free Palestine' while in custody," Smith added. Police said they had tentatively identified the suspect as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago. He did not have any prior known encounters with police, Smith said. The victims were "a couple about to be engaged," said Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter. "The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem. They were a beautiful couple who came to enjoy an evening in Washington's cultural center.” - NPR
President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Russia's Kursk region, his first since Russian troops pushed out Ukrainian troops who had been occupying parts of the region since launching an incursion last year. Video from state television showed Putin meeting on May 20 with several groups of residents from the area, as well as with acting regional Governor Aleksandr Khinshtein. Ukrainian troops launched the incursion in August last year in a bold attack that appeared to catch Russia off guard. Kyiv said that at one point it controlled some 1,400 square kilometers of the region. Last month Moscow claimed it had pushed out the Ukrainian soldiers to end the incursion. Putin's visit comes amid accusations that he is stalling peace talks to end Europe's largest and deadliest conflict since World War II in an attempt to gain as much territory as possible to strengthen his hand at the negotiating table - RFE/RL
The European Union has stepped in to provide Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty an infusion of millions of dollars to keep functioning as the international broadcaster battles the Trump administration to release funds Congress has already designated "Radio Liberty's survival remains at risk as long as these funds are withheld," the network's president, Steve Capus, said, referring to $75 million held back by the Trump administration. Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were founded in the early 1950s as part of Cold War initiatives to combat Soviet propaganda and influence. They later merged. Last year, more than 47 million unique users relied on its coverage each week in 23 countries, according to the network, including in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic states, Hungary, Iran and other countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus. The Trump administration initially sought to dismantle Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and its sister networks, including Voice of America. His senior adviser, Kari Lake, has called them biased and claimed they served up anti-American fare. While President Trump has cited a need to identify major budget cuts throughout government, his actions fit neatly into a larger strategy to undermine the news media's finances and independence - NPR
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has strongly criticised officials for the damage caused to a new naval destroyer during a failed launch ceremony this week, describing the incident as a “criminal act”. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim, who attended the event on Wednesday in the northeastern port of Chongjin, also blamed scientists and shipyard operators for the “serious accident”. During its launch, the new 5,000-tonne ship lost its balance and the tipping caused parts of the vessel’s hull to become damaged, according to the KCNA. It remains unclear how severe the damage is or whether anyone was injured in the accident - Euronews
The journals…
