US President Donald Trump said on Friday that no US government official would attend the Group of 20 summit in South Africa later this month.
Explaining the reason for his decision, Trump said Africans face persecution based on their race in the black-majority country. The South African government has denied the allegations.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said: “It is an absolute disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa. Africans (people who are descended from Dutch settlers as well as French and German immigrants) are being killed and slaughtered and their land and farms are being illegally seized.
“No US government official will attend as long as human rights abuses continue. I look forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida!” Trump said.
Last month, the president set a record low for U.S. refugee admissions and said those would mostly target white Africans.
Vice President JD Vance, who was due to attend the Group of 20 world leaders in Johannesburg on November 22-23, has not attended, a source told Reuters.
A spokesman for South Africa’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Trump has railed against South Africa’s domestic and foreign policies – from land policy to a case accusing Israel of genocide in the US-allied Gaza war.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted the G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa, which the G20 chairs from December 2024 to November 2025.
The United States is set to take over the G20 presidency from South Africa.
