Today’s Rest of the Story 🔍🧩
South Africa's Ramaphosa and President Trump's Meeting
May 23, 2025
Hi friends,
This week, the headlines told us President Trump confronted South Africa’s leader with a shocking video. Critics called it a racist stunt. Supporters said it was truth-telling.
Media reports often leave much to be desired. It’s truly amazing how ‘spin’ works. Simply using one synonym over another can make something positive or negative. Focusing on one aspect vs leaving out another aspect and, voila, you have a whole different story. And, boy, does media play on our emotions.
Though I research thoroughly, I never know everything, that’s for sure. (Who does?) My goal is to provide you a good starting point with more than one viewpoint so you can do your own research.
🔍 What We Were Told
This week, major outlets like The New York Times and CNN criticized President Trump for confronting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with a 'debunked' video. Media described it as racially charged and misleading, focused on old footage and unverified claims about violence against white farmers. They cast the meeting as a Trump PR stunt—ignoring the deeper policy concerns behind it.
🧩 What Was Left Out
The context omitted from many reports is significant:
- In 2024, Ramaphosa signed the Expropriation Act, enabling land seizures without compensation. (See the image below *** for the main points.)
- Senator Marco Rubio had recently expelled South Africa’s ambassador, calling him a race-baiter.
- Trump made it possible for dozens of white South African families to be granted U.S. refugee status because all indications point to the seriousness of the concern.
- The controversial chant 'Kill the Boer' was defended legally, not refuted. South Africa's Equality Court determined in 2022 not to constitute it as hate speech under the country's legal framework.- There is disagreement about the white crosses.
***
Further, Heritage.org, a respected think tank, published The Great South African Land Heist.
↔️ Opposing Viewpoints
President Trump and his team determined there are escalating threats to white farmers including violation of property rights - which is fundamental to both American law and free market conservatism, concerns about Marxist-style land seizures - reminiscent of Zimbabwe’s collapse after similar policies under Mugabe, unchecked violence, and global indifference. The media focused on optics and tone; that’s what sells, and that’s their bread and butter. The meeting was initiated by Ramaphosa-possibly about the 31% tariff, but was spun as a Trump stunt.
This story reminds me of the adage that there are three sides to every story: the first party, the second party, and the truth.
In this war over narrative, truth has become collateral damage.
🎯 Why It Matters
This story isn’t just about possible genocide—it’s about addressing the warning signs of race-based property seizures and silenced dissent. President Trump may have delivered the message in his usual blunt manner, but the concerns deserved a fairer hearing than the media offered.
Paul Harvey used to say, ‘And now, the rest of the story.’ We need that spirit today more than ever. 🔍🧩
I recommend Jeff Childers’ May 23, 2025 Coffee & Covid post (which inspired me to dig a little). This commentary provides framing and details to help readers have access to the bigger picture.
Sources: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/about-kill-the-boer-chant-in-trumps-south-africa-white-genocide-video-8479105, https://apnews.com/article/trump-south-africa-ramaphosa-genocide-3f599aa3e91277dcc095d9bc9003357c, https://www.thetimes.com/world/africa/article/white-farmers-killed-south-africa-white-genocide-0vldv3d6v?region=global, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/21/us/politics/trump-race-south-africa.html, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-67844551, https://www.heritage.org/global-politics/heritage-explains/the-great-south-african-land-heist, https://za.usembassy.gov/refugee-admissions-program-for-south-africans/
This ‘rest of the story’ idea is inspired by the spirit of commentary made famous by Paul Harvey. It is not affiliated with Paul Harvey’s original broadcasts or estate.
As always, do your own research; make up your own mind.
References to other sources do not necessarily reflect my opinions, and I make no claim to their veracity or completeness. I provide them for your consideration.
(AI may have been used in this article.)
God bless you, God bless President Trump and team, and God bless America!
Stay calm - President Trump is a businessman who operates strategically, and not everything will make sense at first. His plan to shrink government and Make America Great Again is a process, not an overnight fix. Trust the long game, not just the headlines.
This message reflects my personal perspective on current events. While I strive for accuracy, please verify details through official sources linked above. If sharing, I encourage readers to include this disclaimer to ensure clarity.
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Until next time…
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