U.S. President Donald Trump showed videos during a tense Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, claiming that white farmers in South Africa were being killed and having their land seized.

Trump alleged that thousands of white farmers were being “executed” and displaced, pointing to videos showing white crosses over graves and holding up news printouts about recent killings. He said, “We’ve had tremendous complaints about Africa” and other places, adding that white farmers were fleeing South Africa and calling it a “genocide.”

Ramaphosa pushed back against the claims and replied, “They’re not,” insisting that people being killed in South Africa are not only white. He stated that such violence is not government policy and emphasised that the country does face crime, but it is not racially targeted.

While the video played, Trump said, “It’s a terrible sight, never seen anything like it.” Ramaphosa asked, “Have they told you where that is, Mr. President?” Trump replied, “No.”

Ramaphosa said he wanted to know where the footage was from because he had never seen it before. Trump responded, “It’s in South Africa.”

To calm tensions, Ramaphosa proposed a private conversation to address the issue and joked, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you,” signalling South Africa’s willingness to engage.

During the meeting, Trump also criticised an NBC reporter, calling them a “disgrace,” and declined to comment on the acceptance of a Qatari aircraft. Elon Musk, who was present, was briefly mentioned as South African, but Trump did not include him in the discussion.

The meeting took place while South Africa held the G20 presidency until November, when the U.S. was set to take over. Ramaphosa said he wanted to “reset” the relationship and talk about key topics like critical minerals and trade.

Ramaphosa hopes the Washington visit will help fix the growing diplomatic tension with the US, a dispute that has already led to American aid cuts and the removal of South Africa’s ambassador. But back in South Africa, officials worry the meeting could go off the rails, similar to the intense Oval Office exchange between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this year.

Amid rising strain, there is concern that South Africa might lose some of its trade benefits with the U.S.

Ramaphosa’s visit came just over a week after 59 white South Africans were granted refugee status and arrived in the U.S., a development that has added further complexity to the broader geopolitical situation.