Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a firm stance against South African Ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool, officially declaring him “persona non grata” and criticizing him as a “race-baiting politician” over his remarks regarding President Trump.
“South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” Rubio announced Friday on X.
“Emrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”
Rubio’s strong rebuke followed the ambassador’s recent speech at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) think-tank in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Rasool, in his remarks, accused President Trump of spearheading a “white supremacist movement” both within the United States and internationally.
“So in terms of that, the supremacist assault on incumbency, we see it in the domestic politics of the USA, the MAGA movement, the Make America Great Again movement, as a response not simply to a supremacist instinct, but to very clear data that shows great demographic shifts in the USA in which the voting electorate in the USA is projected to become 48 percent white,” Rasool said in his video address.
Rasool also linked these demographic changes to U.S. policies on border security and immigration enforcement.
“And so that needs to be factored in, so that we understand some of the things that we think are instinctive, nativist, racist things, I think that there’s data that, for example, would support that, that would go to this wall being built, the deportation movement,” he added.
Rasool previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to Washington from 2010 to 2015 and was reappointed to the role earlier this year.
His return to diplomatic service, however, comes amid a deterioration in U.S.-South Africa relations.
President Trump has been highly critical of the South African government, particularly its policies on land ownership.
In early February, Trump issued an executive order to halt U.S. aid to South Africa, citing concerns over the country’s decision to seize agricultural property owned by ethnic minority Afrikaners without providing compensation.
Rubio has echoed these concerns, making it clear that he would not be attending the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
“Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote ‘solidarity, equality, & sustainability.’ In other words: DEI and climate change,” Rubio said, highlighting disapproval of South Africa’s policies.
Trump’s frustration with South Africa intensified after the nation enacted the Expropriation Act in January, legislation that permits the government to seize land without compensation if deemed “just and equitable and in the public interest.”
At the time, Trump strongly condemned South Africa’s actions, asserting that the government was confiscating land and treating certain groups unfairly.
“Land is being taken, and certain classes of people are being treated VERY BADLY,” he stated.
Beyond tensions with South Africa, Rubio also faced scrutiny from Canadian journalists regarding President Trump’s stance on U.S.-Canada relations, including his suggestion that Canada should become the 51st state and the ongoing trade disputes between the two nations.
During a press conference, Rubio dismissed concerns over Trump’s rhetoric, emphasizing that the issue was not a focal point of discussions at the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting in Charlevoix, Quebec.
“The Canadian government has made their position clear. The president has made his argument clear as to why he thinks Canada would be better off joining as a state for economic purposes,” Rubio said.
“There is a disagreement between the two. That was not a topic of conversation, because that’s not what this summit was about.”
According to Rubio, Trump’s comments on annexing Canada stemmed from a dinner conversation with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in which economic concerns over potential U.S. tariffs were raised.
“At that point, the president said Canada should become a U.S. state. POTUS has made an argument about why Canada would be better off economically being a state, and I think that stands for itself,” Rubio explained.
Regarding trade disputes, Rubio highlighted that Trump’s tariff policies were aimed at establishing fairness in economic relationships.
“This is not meant as a hostile move. This is about balancing and fairness and trade,” Rubio said.
“Once the baseline is set, then you can have negotiations with individual countries about trade. This is meant to be friendly and of our national interest.”
