Trump may skip G20 visit to South Africa, cites problems with policies

US President President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he might skip the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) leaders' summit in South Africa in November and send someone else to represent the United States, citing his disapproval of South African policies.

Asked aboard Air Force One if he planned to attend the summit, Trump said: "No, I think maybe I'll send somebody else, because I've had a lot of problems with South Africa... A lot of people are being killed. So I think I probably won't, I'd like to, but I don't think I will."

The G20, a grouping of 19 countries as well as the European Union and the African Union, is deeply divided on key issues from Russia's war in Ukraine to climate change.

South Africa currently holds the G20 presidency, after which the US takes over. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously urged Trump to attend the G20 summit.

Israel genocide

Trump has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies - ranging from its land policy to its case accusing Israel of genocide in its war on Gaza.

Trump signed an executive order in February to cut US financial assistance to South Africa. In May, Trump confronted President Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a White House meeting.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa, which has the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025.

Ramaphosa rejects Washington's claims that South Africa will use its land policy to arbitrarily confiscate white-owned land.