President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the United States would boycott the upcoming Group of 20 summit in South Africa, claiming the host nation is guilty of “human rights abuses” against Afrikaners. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump called it “a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” alleging that people of European descent, particularly Afrikaners, “are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated.”
The South African government has denied such accusations, calling them baseless and racially divisive. According to Reuters, Trump said no U.S. government official would attend the summit “as long as these human rights abuses continue,” and added that he looks forward to hosting the 2026 G20 in Miami, Florida. His statement marks the latest escalation in tensions between Washington and Pretoria, which have clashed over issues ranging from land reform to South Africa’s case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
Vice President JD Vance, who had been expected to attend the G20 meetings in Johannesburg on November 22–23, will no longer travel, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. The decision effectively removes the United States from this year’s proceedings, where world leaders are set to discuss trade, climate policy, and global security. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also skipped a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in South Africa, which currently holds the G20 presidency through November 2025.
Trump’s move comes just weeks after his administration set the lowest cap on record for U.S. refugee admissions, saying those admitted would be focused largely on white Afrikaners. South Africa’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The United States is expected to take over the G20 presidency from South Africa next year.
