‘It’s literally an SNL skit’: Trump gives South Africa the ‘full Zelenskyy treatment’ in oval office disaster filled with false claims

President Trump is slowly turning the Oval Office into a Bravo-esque battleground where he invites world leaders and tries his utmost best to embarrass them.

In what CNN is now calling a premeditated ambush, reports are coming in that while President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa thought he was going into the Oval Office for a routine diplomacy exercise where the press was going to field questions to both presidents, the Trump administration had other ideas.

To the South African team’s surprise, Trump’s administration was rolling in television screens and, by Trump’s side, there was a ream of papers with headlines alleging proof of “white genocide.” These were Trump’s chosen props.

Very quickly after exchanging pleasantries about golf, Trump went on the offensive, showing all the headline-printed pages. He then played clips on the television in the room of a controversial South African Member of Parliament leading a crowd in singing the now-infamous “kill the boer” song.

Trump did all this to advance his administration’s agenda claiming there’s a white genocide in South Africa. According to Trump, the media is just ignoring these concerning killings. However, reports have since come out that not only were some of those headlines he quickly flashed to the cameras from other countries according to TRT Global, but there has been no independent research that has proven there is an orchestrated killing spree against white farmers. CNN reporter Larry Madowo said, “Between April and December 2024, there were almost 20,000 murders in South Africa, but what percentage of those were actual farm murders? 0.2%. So across the board, there were only 36 farm murders.”

Ramaphosa did everything world leaders have learned: complement Trump, thank him, flatter him. But nothing could have prepared him for the multimedia ambush over “white genocide” that hit him.

My final thoughts on that disastrous White House meeting pic.twitter.com/fCgaNTh8Xa

— Larry Madowo (@LarryMadowo) May 22, 2025

During the press conference, people were stunned by how unprofessional Trump presented himself. Some X users even noted that Trump was giving Ramaphosa “the full Zelenskyy treatment.” Some commenters said the entire thing looked like an SNL skit.

It’s literally an SNL skit – “death, death, death, horrible death”

— Eli (@EliStrawmaning) May 21, 2025

But perhaps the highlight of the press conference was when President Ramaphosa decided to try and de-escalate the situation with a joke. It might not be common knowledge now, but his poise during Trump’s latest meltdown is actually because he was Nelson Mandela’s chief negotiator during the fight against apartheid. President Ramaphosa joked to Trump, “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to offer you,” and instantly knocked him off rhythm.

RAMAPHOSA: I am sorry I don’t have a plane to give you

TRUMP: I wish you did. I’d take it. If your country offered the US Air Force a plane, I would take it

RAMAPHOSA: Okay pic.twitter.com/TgvODTok9P

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 21, 2025

As for the conclusion of the back-and-forth, it was down to a South African billionaire Johan Rupert who took the attention of the entire room by bringing calm. He told President Trump that the killings in South Africa are not race-related but rather crime-related. And he said it’s not unlike New York City in the 1970s, which both Rupert and Trump lived through, and that what they need is to boost the crime rate response and work on their own immigration policies.

When Trump had his last public spurt — which is now becoming a sad pattern — people blamed everything on Zelenskyy. How he talked back, how he dressed. But now, we can clearly see what the common denominator is.