President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing his country of failing to address the killing of white farmers.
"People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety," said Trump, who at one point dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a communist politician playing a controversial anti-apartheid song that includes lyrics about killing a farmer.
"Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they're being killed."
Ramaphosa, who sat quietly watching these videos, pushed back against Trump's accusation.
"I'd like to know where that is because this I've never seen" these videos, he said.
The South African leader had sought to use the meeting to set the record straight and salvage his country's relationship with the United States.
The bilateral relationship is at its lowest point since South Africa enforced its apartheid system of racial segregation, which ended in 1994.
"We are completely opposed to that," Ramaphosa said of the behavior alleged by Trump in their exchange.
Experts in South Africa say there is no evidence of whites being targeted, although farmers of all races are victims of violent home invasions in a country that suffers from a very high crime rate.
The official White House X account posted an emoji of a siren and the title "JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa" over a video Trump had showed during his meeting with Ramaphosa.
Trump said the video showed killings and suggested white South African farmers were being targeted.
The post of the video came even as Trump's meeting with Ramaphosa was still happening.
South Africa has been pursuing allegations of genocide against Israel in the International Court of Justice.
Although the White House has criticized the case, Trump did not address the issue in the Oval Office.
Asked what he wanted to see happen, Trump said "I don't know."
"There's a lot of anger there. I don't expect anything. We'll see what happens."
Trump noted "I have a great feeling for South Africa" and many friends in that country.
The president said some of his South African friends were at the meeting in the Oval Office, including billionaire Elon Musk.
"Elon is from South Africa," Trump said, though he suggested that involving Musk in U.S.-South African relations could cause more controversy.
"I don't want to get Elon involved," Trump said. "I don't want to talk to him about that. I don't think it's fair to him."
Trump opened by remarking that Ramaphosa “is a man who is certainly, in some circles, really respected.”
He also said he and Ramaphosa will discuss "many things," including some of the issues that have been in the news to see if he can help.
"We want to help," he said.
Ramaphosa, meanwhile, said it was "a real joy" to be at the White House and he wants to take the opportunity to "recalibrate" ties between the two countries.
He said he is hoping for more trade with the much larger American economy.
"We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa," Ramaphosa said.
South Africa has strongly rejected the genocide allegation and Ramaphosa pushed for the meeting with Trump in an attempt to salvage his country's relationship with the United States, which is at its lowest point since the end of the apartheid system of racial segregation in 1994.
Information from Reuters was used to compile this report.