Anderson Cooper Investigates South Africa Amid Trump’s Claims

Anderson Cooper, a host at CNN and correspondent for “60 Minutes,” recently traveled to South Africa to look into President Donald Trump’s claims of genocide against white farmers. He ultimately found that the violence faced by white residents is instead rooted in widespread crime.

In a segment aired on “60 Minutes” on February 22, Cooper aimed to soften Trump’s exaggerated statements, while seemingly brushing over several human rights issues. He indicated that his visit to a farm was spurred by Trump’s remarks regarding the killings of South African farmers. Cooper reported that the country is plagued by crime, where farmers are often seen as easy targets. Nonetheless, some locals expressed to the media that assaults specifically targeting white residents are increasingly problematic.

During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Trump accused him of being complicit in the “genocide” of white farmers, a claim that the president rejected. Trump even showed Ramaphosa a video of Julius Malema, the leader of a nationalist party, calling for violence against farmers during a rally attended by thousands.

Cooper highlighted the history of the Boers, or Afrikaners, descendants of Dutch settlers in South Africa. Their population has dwindled from 11% in 1996 to around 7.3% in 2022, according to census data.

Trump presented Ramaphosa with an image depicting white crosses along a rural road, suggesting they marked the graves of over 1,000 murdered white farmers. Cooper visited this location and discovered that the cross was no longer there. He interviewed a farmer who clarified that the cross had been temporarily placed there to honor a fallen South African farmer, and it was not a burial site.

While Cooper acknowledged Trump’s inaccurate portrayal of each cross representing a victim, he pointed out that it still marked the loss of lives. He also questioned his interviewees about whether they believed Trump’s description of their situation as “genocide” was accurate. Most, including the widow of a murdered farmer, suggested he was misusing the term. They noted that the attacks seemed more opportunistic than anything else.

Cooper mentioned that South African police estimate over 25,000 homicides annually, with only 37 occurring on farms. Furthermore, during the first quarter of 2025, five out of six farm murder victims were black. It was only the previous year that police began disclosing racial data about farm attack victims.

Some victims and Afrikaner leaders indicated that many attacks actually occur on smallholdings—small residential properties on city fringes—where attackers can commit crimes with less risk of being caught.

One survivor recounted her traumatic experience of being bound, beaten, and forced to watch as her husband was killed. The racial dynamics of these attacks, particularly those on small properties, didn’t seem to be thoroughly represented in Cooper’s report.

Johan Cozza, from South Africa’s main agricultural organization, remarked, “This isn’t about white genocide; it’s a crime issue in South Africa.”

Various perspectives were offered during Cooper’s investigation. AfriForum’s spokesperson, Jack Brudrick, contended that while crime affects everyone, attacks against farmers often carry political motivations and complexity. He described the brutality faced by victims, emphasizing that such acts should not just be labeled as crimes for profit.

In one harrowing account, a former teacher described the shock of being shot in an attack, resulting in severe physical injuries.

When questioned about genocide in South Africa, Brudrick acknowledged Trump’s role in bringing attention to Afrikaners’ struggles but said characterizing it as genocide felt somewhat like “semantics.” He insisted that the brutal killings of families should not be diminished.

Additionally, Cooper disputed Trump’s assertion that land was being expropriated from Afrikaner farmers under the 2024 Eminent Domain Act, which allows the state to seize property without compensation in some cases. Cooper confirmed that this law has not yet been implemented, but some leaders argued that Afrikaner farmers are still losing land due to existing discriminatory laws.

One farmer explained how regulations tied to Black Economic Empowerment made it nearly impossible for whites to secure loans or sell land if they didn’t meet certain racial criteria. This situation raises significant questions about the viability of running a family farm.

Leaders also highlighted the challenges landowners face when trying to confront illegal settlements on their properties, attributing a lack of effective law enforcement to exacerbate the issues.

Anderson Cooper’s representatives at “60 Minutes” were contacted for comment.