Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it clear that South Africa’s ambassador is not welcome here.
On Friday, Rubio posted to social media platform X, calling Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool, “a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS.”
He wrote of the United States relationship with Rasool, “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” before linking to a Breitbart article that highlights comments made by the ambassador about President Donald Trump.
South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country.
Ebrahim 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.https://t.co/mnUnwGOQdx
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 14, 2025
Politico reported Friday the decision was made after Rasool made public comments about Trump promoting white supremacy globally.
Trump’s executive order in February severed aid to South Africa for its treatment of white Afrikaners.
The order reads that the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024 allows the “government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.”
According to a Friday Breitbart article, Rasool took aim at both Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance for their public remarks supporting the U.K. Reform Party’s Nigel Farage and Germany’s Alternative for Deutschland party.
Should the Trump administration keep Rasool away?
Yes: 98% (112 Votes)
No: 2% (2 Votes)
Reposting a video of host of “The Rubin Report” Dave Rubin interviewing South African entrepreneur Robert Hersov in which the two spoke about South Africa’s numerous laws targeting white Afrikaners, Musk posted in reference to his Starlink technology, “Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa, because I’m not black.”
Why would the Trump administration continue to be in talks with a man who brands our president as a white supremacist?
Rasool must have been under the impression that the United States would continue to open its doors to his country despite leveling such an insult against Trump.
After all, accusations of white supremacy date back to Trump’s very first presidential campaign.
Perhaps Rasool thought because the Trump administration tolerates that sort of rhetoric from American politicians as we have freedom of speech, he would take the ambassador’s comments in stride and keep communication lines open.
Semafor reported Wednesday that Rasool had previously posted on X – then Twitter – about Trump, dating back to his first term in which he said the president, “emboldens hate disciples globally.”
Rasool was not serving as ambassador at that time, having taken the job during the Obama administration while resuming it in January 2025.
South Africa’s government should have anticipated this collision and kept Rasool away from the ambassadorship.
Although this is his first time as ambassador during the Trump administration – and probably his last – keeping a clear mind and not calling the executive a racist seems like it should be standard practice.
South African should find someone with a better temperament if they want an audience with American leaders.
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