Trump’s Congo Footage Mix-Up Sparks Misinformation and Strains US-South Africa Relations

When Reality Gets Twisted: The Trump-Ramaphosa Oval Office Mix-Up

In a surprising and tense Oval Office meeting this week, former President Donald Trump pulled out a printout with a bold claim: he said it showed “mass killings of white South African farmers.” The image, a screenshot from a Reuters video, was presented as evidence to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, sparking a wave of controversy. But here’s the kicker — the footage wasn’t even from South Africa. It was actually from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), showing something entirely different.

What Really Happened Behind the Scenes?

The picture Trump showed during the meeting depicted humanitarian workers handling body bags in the city of Goma in the DRC. Reuters had originally released the video on February 3, documenting the aftermath of brutal clashes between local forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. This wasn’t about South Africa, let alone some conspiracy about white farmers being targeted.

Reuters' own fact-check team verified the footage’s true origin, clarifying that it was connected to violence in Congo, not racial killings in South Africa.

Trump’s Evidence: A Case of Mistaken Identity?

The printout Trump waved around came from a blog post by American Thinker, a conservative online magazine. The post discussed racial tensions and conflict in both South Africa and Congo but made a crucial error — it misidentified the image and linked to a YouTube video about Congo while implying it showed white farmers being killed in South Africa.

• Key point: The blog post didn’t caption the image accurately.

• It simply called it a “YouTube screen grab,” giving the impression it was from South Africa.

• The White House has remained silent on this mix-up, declining to comment on the error.

Andrea Widburg, managing editor at American Thinker and the author of that particular post, responded to Reuters' inquiries by admitting that Trump had indeed “misidentified the image.” However, she doubled down on the narrative that South Africa's government, led by Ramaphosa, is a "dysfunctional, race-obsessed Marxist government" under increasing pressure from tensions related to the white minority population.

A Journalist’s Shock: The Real Story Behind the Footage

Djaffar Al Katanty, the Reuters video journalist who captured the original footage in Goma, spoke out in disbelief after seeing Trump use his work as supposed evidence of genocide in South Africa.

“In view of all the world, President Trump used my image, used what I filmed in DRC to try to convince President Ramaphosa that in his country, white people are being killed by Black people,” Al Katanty said.

Getting the footage wasn’t easy. Al Katanty explained that journalists faced severe restrictions during the M23 assault on Goma. He had to negotiate directly with the rebel group and coordinate with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to be allowed to film. To this day, only Reuters has that specific video.

The Political Context: Ramaphosa’s Trip to Washington

This visit wasn’t just a casual diplomatic call. Ramaphosa came to Washington, D.C., to smooth over relations with the United States after months of public criticism from Trump. The former president has repeatedly blasted South Africa over its land reform policies, foreign relations, and claims about the treatment of white South Africans — claims South Africa firmly rejects.

During the televised meeting, Trump interrupted to play the controversial video, declaring it proof of genocide against white farmers in South Africa. This conspiracy theory has been floating around far-right groups and social media for years but has no basis in fact.

Trump’s Dramatic Presentation

Trump didn’t just stop at the video. He pulled out printed articles and flipped through them, emphasizing the words with phrases like “death, death, death, horrible death.” His tone made it clear he believed these were undeniable proofs of a crisis.

Yet, experts and fact-checkers have called out these claims as false and misleading. South African officials have consistently denied any organized campaign of racial killings against white farmers, pointing to crime rates and violence that affect all communities in the country.

Why This Mix-Up Matters

This isn’t just a simple mistake; it’s an example of how misinformation can spread at the highest levels of government and influence international relations.

• Misusing Media: Using footage from one conflict zone to argue about another country’s issues can distort facts and inflame tensions.

• Political Motivations: Trump’s insistence on highlighting alleged attacks on white South Africans fits into a larger narrative pushed by certain groups focused on race and land disputes.

• Diplomatic Fallout: Ramaphosa’s trip to the U.S. was supposed to reset relations, but the presentation of inaccurate information likely complicated that effort.

A Closer Look at the M23 Conflict in Congo

While the Trump story grabbed headlines, the real video’s context is just as important and far less well-known. The M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, has been a destabilizing force in eastern Congo for years. Their assault on Goma in late January and early February led to civilian casualties and forced many humanitarian agencies into action.

The footage shows the grim reality: humanitarian workers struggling to manage the dead after violent clashes. It’s a sobering reminder of the ongoing crisis in the region, a far cry from the conspiracy theories about South Africa.

How Conspiracy Theories Spread

This incident is a textbook case of how misinformation gets amplified:

1. Mislabeling content: A blog post incorrectly identifies footage.

2. Viral sharing: The image spreads without proper context.

3. High-profile endorsement: A political figure uses it as “proof” on an international stage.

4. Media and public confusion: People struggle to sort fact from fiction.

What South Africa Really Says

South Africa’s government has been vocal in rejecting allegations of racial violence targeting white farmers. Land reform, aimed at addressing historic inequalities from apartheid, remains a sensitive and complex issue. But painting it as a violent campaign against white people doesn’t hold up to scrutiny.

Instead, crime in South Africa is a widespread problem affecting all racial and economic groups. The country’s leadership, including President Ramaphosa, calls for unity and lawful reforms rather than divisive racial narratives.

Wrapping Up: Lessons From the Oval Office Incident

• Misinformation can have real-world diplomatic consequences.

• Journalistic integrity matters: footage from Congo should not be weaponized to push unrelated political narratives.

• Leaders must verify facts before making serious accusations on the global stage.

This episode serves as a powerful reminder to always double-check the sources behind shocking claims, especially when they are used to justify political points. Trump’s mistake wasn’t just about a wrong image—it highlighted how quickly misinformation can spiral and affect international relations.