South Africa’s President Fires Back at Trump’s False Claim of Land Seizures
New York TimesFEB 3
Trump Threatens to Cut South African Aid Over Land 'Confiscations'
Above: US Pres. Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 3, 2025. Image copyright: Chris Kleponis/Contributor/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Spin
Right narrative
Whether you like Trump or not, he's right about what's going on in South Africa. The Expropriation Act is an unconstitutional confiscatory law that allows the government to take private property without compensation. Patriotic South Africans must celebrate a powerful ally stepping in to protect their rights.
Left narrative
Trump is again promoting far-right conspiracy theories about White South Africans being deprived of their rights and persecuted with the complicity and participation of the local government. Every country has similar laws to balance private property rights and the public good — including the US.