US Cancels Official Attendance at G20 Summit in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – November 8, 2025 – In a move escalating tensions with South Africa, President Donald Trump announced Friday that no US government officials will attend the Group of 20 summit scheduled to take place later this month. The decision,communicated via Trump’s Truth social network,stems from accusations of human rights abuses against white farmers in South Africa.
“It is a total disgrace that the G20 will be held in South Africa,” Trump posted.
The Trump governance has repeatedly alleged discrimination against South Africa’s white minority, citing claims of land seizures and violence. The South African government has consistently denied these accusations, maintaining that Afrikaners and other white South Africans are not being persecuted.
“No US government official will attend provided that these human rights abuses continue,” Trump stated in his post. He further asserted earlier this week at a business event in miami that South africa should be removed from the group of the world’s largest economies, saying: “South Africa shouldn’t even be in the Gs anymore, as what’s happened there is bad.”
The announcement follows a previous declaration in September that Trump would not personally attend the summit. He initially designated Vice President JD Vance to represent the US, but on Friday, news emerged – confirmed by an unnamed official to Reuters – that Vance will also forgo the trip, with no international travel currently planned.
The G20 presidency rotates annually among member nations, with South Africa currently holding the position and setting the agenda for this year’s summit, which is scheduled for November 22-23. The United States is slated to assume the presidency following the conclusion of this year’s meeting.
Looking ahead, Trump has announced plans to host the 2026 G20 summit at his golf resort in Miami, a location he previously proposed for the 2020 Group of Seven (G7) summit during his first term.
