Trump brings up Musk in Oval Office meeting with South Africa’s president
President Donald Trump discussed the ongoing attacks on white farmers in South Africa during a meeting with President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office. The conversation touched on whether the violence against white farmers constitutes a genocide, with Trump expressing concern about the situation.
During the discussion, a reporter asked Trump about improving relations between the United States and South Africa. Trump emphasized the importance of the relationship, mentioning personal friends from South Africa, including professional golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, as well as entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Elon Musk, who was present at the meeting, has been vocal about his criticisms of the South African government and has described the attacks on white farmers as a genocide. Trump acknowledged Musk’s South African heritage but emphasized that he did not want to involve him in diplomatic matters.
“I don’t want to get Elon involved. That’s all I have to do, get him into another thing,” Trump said, eliciting laughter. “But Elon happens to be from South Africa. This is what Elon wanted. He actually came here on a different subject — sending rockets to Mars — OK? He likes that better. He likes that subject better. But Elon’s from South Africa, and I don’t want to talk to him about that. I don’t think it’s fair to him.”
Ahead of the meeting with Ramaphosa, Musk-owned X faced criticism for its AI chatbot, Grok, providing unsolicited responses about the attacks on white farmers in South Africa. The company attributed the controversial responses to an “unauthorized modification” to Grok’s algorithm, which led to discussions about race and politics in South Africa.
Overall, the meeting between Trump and Ramaphosa highlighted the complex issues surrounding the attacks on white farmers in South Africa and the importance of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Musk’s presence and his outspoken views on the situation added another layer of discussion to the meeting, showcasing the intersection of technology, business, and international politics.
