US President Donald Trump has once again falsely described attacks on white farmers in South Africa as “genocide” during a rally in Phoenix.
Speaking at an event hosted by Turning Point USA, Trump said his administration had prioritised refugee resettlement for white South Africans, alleging widespread persecution. According to figures cited at the rally, nearly 4,500 South Africans had reportedly been admitted under a broader refugee cap of 7,500 for the fiscal year.
Trump told supporters that violence targeting white farmers amounted to a systematic campaign, stating that “they kill people if they’re white,” a claim that the South African government and independent analysts have long disputed.
Trump: We suspended all refugee resettlement, except for persecuted South Africans. There’s a very horrible thing going on in South Africa. It’s a genocide. They kill people if they’re white. If you’re a white person. I did great with the black vote, the African American vote,… pic.twitter.com/DXunfnjQnV
— Acyn (@Acyn) April 17, 2026
This is not the first time Trump has advanced the claim. He has repeatedly promoted the narrative of a so-called “white genocide”, including during Cyril Ramaphosa’s visit to the White House in May 2025, where Ramaphosa was confronted with videos and images, many of which were later found not to originate in South Africa.
READ: Trump’s misleading white genocide claims debunked
The claim has also been challenged by international media. A recent report by the U.S. programme 60 Minutes found no evidence to support allegations of a coordinated campaign against white farmers. Journalist Anderson Cooper reported that there is no proof of systematic, state-sponsored genocide targeting white South Africans.
Advocacy groups such as AfriForum have frequently raised concerns about farm attacks, pointing to dozens of murders reported annually and describing the violence as particularly brutal. However, critics argue that such claims lack broader context and risk distorting South Africa’s crime realities.
Official statistics show that farm murders account for a small fraction of the country’s overall murder rate. With roughly 27,000 murders recorded annually, experts note that violent crime in South Africa affects people across all racial and socio-economic groups, with the majority of victims being black South Africans.
The latest Crime Statistics, between October and December 2025, show 7 murders of individuals linked to a farming community, of which 4 were farmers.
Trump’s comments drew sharp criticism from senior political figures. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula accused Trump of promoting “distortion and disinformation,” arguing that such rhetoric reinforces harmful racial stereotypes.
The subtle message that Trump is saying, is that black people are savages who kill with impunity. The racist trope that we uncivilised and animal-like as race is what Afriforum has peddled and now Trump is reinforcing in his messaging. The world is on our side in pushing back… https://t.co/ClMLmoZvPB
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) April 18, 2026
Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya also pushed back, emphasising South Africa’s commitment to confronting its past while shaping a unified future. He rejected claims of genocide, describing them as misleading and not reflective of the country’s reality.
Mr President, please watch this👇 pic.twitter.com/1ZnURlQN3B
— I am a South African 🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 (@hodmudau) April 18, 2026
And the Whites love it here. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/scr4De4kVA
— 2me (@TumiTemo) April 18, 2026
Wow look at all this white genocide…
Absolutely terrible!
Maybe you and orange man must stop smoking that stuff thats frying your brains too….
— Anver A (@MPower330) April 18, 2026
ALSO READ: Violent crime and the myth of South Africa’s ‘white genocide’
