Trump's misleading video on South African farmers debunked
Donald Trump showed the president of South Africa a video, claiming it depicted burial sites of white farmers. Analysis has shown this to be false.
What do you need to know?
- During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Donald Trump presented a video purporting to show "burial sites" of white farmers. However, this video was identified as footage from a procession commemorating a murdered farming couple.
- Analysis by "The New York Times" revealed that the video depicts a procession from 5th September 2020, near Newcastle in South Africa. The white crosses seen in the footage were temporarily set up before the event and were later removed.
- The video was previously shared on social media by Elon Musk, a Trump advisor. It is unclear where Trump obtained the footage or who presented it to him as evidence of "burial sites."
Why did Trump show the video?
During a meeting at the White House, Donald Trump presented President Ramaphosa with a video that was allegedly showing "burial sites" of white farmers in South Africa.
Trump claimed that the footage was evidence of racial persecution against white residents of the country. However, analysis by "The New York Times" determined that the video represents a procession commemorating a murdered farming couple, not burial sites.
What does the video actually show?
The video that Trump showed originates from an event on 5th September 2020, near Newcastle. The white crosses seen in the footage were temporarily set up before the procession and were later removed. The video was previously shared on social media by Elon Musk, who is an advisor to Trump. It remains unclear where Trump obtained the footage or who presented it to him as evidence of "burial sites."
What were the reactions to the meeting?
During the meeting, when President Ramaphosa inquired about the origin of the video, Trump replied, "It's in South Africa." The video stirred controversy as it contained false information about the situation of white farmers in South Africa. The South African police do not confirm that white farmers are more exposed to violence than other residents of the country.
