White House Calls Out South Africa
The White House announced Saturday that South Africa is refusing to cooperate with the standard transition process for handing over the G20 presidency to the United States—an unusual move that follows a high-stakes disagreement over a climate declaration pushed through by other G20 members.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa insisted on advancing a sweeping G20 statement centered on climate change and global policy priorities, despite strong, consistent, and well-documented objections from the United States.
According to Kelly, the administration made it clear that the declaration did not reflect America’s economic interests, energy priorities, or national-security concerns. She said the U.S. position was repeatedly ignored.
Kelly also reaffirmed that President Donald Trump is prepared to restore credibility, stability, and responsible leadership to the G20 when the United States hosts the summit in 2026. She said the administration will ensure the forum “returns to its core mission of economic cooperation instead of political activism.”
The White House emphasized that the United States will continue to defend American energy independence, economic sovereignty, and commonsense policy on the world stage—even when faced with global pressure campaigns.
