Rubio Declares South African Ambassador Persona Non Grata Over Trump Criticism
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has declared South African Ambassador to the U.S., Ebrahim Rasool, persona non grata following Rasool’s criticism of President Donald Trump.
In a sharp diplomatic rebuke, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is no longer welcome in the United States. Rubio’s statement came in response to Rasool’s comments made during a speech at the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection in Johannesburg, where he criticized President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as a ‘White supremacist response’ to demographic shifts in the U.S.
Rasool’s remarks, which linked Trump’s policies to a global White supremacist movement, were seen as highly inflammatory by Rubio. In a post on X, Rubio stated, “South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. 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.”
The controversy stems from South Africa’s recent passage of the Expropriation Act, which allows the government to seize land without compensation. This move has been heavily criticized by Trump, who in February issued an executive order penalizing South Africa for what he described as ‘unjust and immoral practices.’ The order also highlighted South Africa’s anti-Israel stance and its reinvigorated relations with Iran, which Trump sees as a threat to U.S. national security.
Trump’s executive order not only froze aid to South Africa but also promoted the resettlement of Afrikaner refugees, citing government-sponsored racial discrimination and property confiscation. The South African government, however, maintains that the Expropriation Act will be used only for public purposes and that compensation will be fair and equitable.
The diplomatic spat underscores the tension between the U.S. and South Africa over issues of land reform and racial policies, with Rubio’s strong reaction signaling a significant escalation in the conflict.