John Bolton, a former national security adviser, stated on CNN’s News Central that allegations regarding white genocide in South Africa, made by Trump, are baseless.
This discussion emerged after Trump’s remarks on Wednesday, which included comments from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Bolton mentioned that he sought the opinion of an expert on the National Security Council regarding claims about violence against white farmers and land seizures, only to be told that such assertions were incorrect. “That’s not true,” he emphasized.
He noted that while South Africa grapples with high crime rates affecting both black and white citizens, this is a considerable issue for the entire country.
The Trump administration had previously acknowledged white South African farmers as refugees under genocide claims.
During a visit to the Oval Office, Trump presented footage that he claimed was filmed in South Africa, where individuals were heard shouting threats against farmers. However, this video was actually recorded in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, over a thousand miles away.
Bolton raised concerns about whether the video had been vetted by experts before being shown to Ramaphosa.
“Did the president’s presentation include insights from the American Intelligence Reporting Agency, the State Department, or the Department of Defense?” he questioned.
Despite the evidence suggesting misrepresentation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the video during a press briefing.
When challenged about the video’s validity by NBC News correspondent Yamiche Alcindor, Leavitt maintained it accurately depicted injustices faced by farmers, claiming the represented crosses symbolized lives lost without government intervention.
Bolton criticized the Trump administration’s misleading statements, suggesting they could harm America’s international reputation with world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He expressed that such incidents, especially in light of ongoing interactions with these leaders, could seriously undermine American credibility on the global stage. Ultimately, “people might prefer other means of communication over meeting with Donald Trump,” he added.
