Washington, USA — The Trump administration has ordered South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, to leave the country by Friday, March 21, 2025, after declaring him “persona non grata” last week. The State Department’s decision, announced on Monday, March 17, escalates tensions between Washington and Pretoria, spotlighting a deepening rift under President Donald Trump’s second term.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio triggered the move with a scathing post on X on Friday, March 14, while returning from a Group of 7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada. Labeling Rasool a “race-baiting politician” who “hates America and hates POTUS,” Rubio linked to a Breitbart article about Rasool’s remarks during a South African think tank webinar earlier that day. Speaking via videoconference from Johannesburg, Rasool had framed Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement as a “supremacist instinct” tied to the U.S.’s shifting demographics, where white voters are projected to lose majority status. The comments drew swift backlash from the administration.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce confirmed that South African embassy staff were summoned on Friday and handed a diplomatic note formally designating Rasool as unwelcome. “His diplomatic privileges and immunities expired Monday, and he is required to depart by Friday,” Bruce told reporters on March 17, calling Rasool’s remarks “unacceptable to the United States, not just to the president, but to every American.” Such an expulsion of a foreign ambassador is a rare diplomatic rebuke, though lower-ranking officials are more commonly targeted with persona non grata status.
South Africa’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri, in a Monday interview with the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, said Rasool remained in the U.S. but would leave “as soon as possible.” Phiri expressed frustration over Rubio’s use of social media to announce the decision—posted at 4:42 p.m. Friday—before formal notification, arguing that diplomatic protocol should take precedence. “Twitter (X) seems to be the preferred mode of communication for this administration,” he noted wryly. Bruce countered that the embassy meeting occurred earlier Friday, though she did not specify a time.
The expulsion follows other Trump administration actions against South Africa. Last month, Trump signed an executive order halting U.S. funding to the country, accusing its Black-led government of pursuing “anti-white policies” through a new land expropriation law—claims South Africa denies—and supporting “bad actors” like Hamas and Iran. Influenced by South African-born adviser Elon Musk, the administration also offered expedited resettlement for white Afrikaners, further straining ties.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, addressing reporters on Monday, called the move “regrettable” but downplayed it as a “hiccup” his government aims to resolve. “We’ve noted the displeasure expressed by the United States, particularly about Rasool’s remarks,” he said, adding that Rasool would brief him upon return. “We will engage with the U.S. formally, with deep respect for them and President Trump, to put our relationship on an even keel. I urge South Africans not to lose sleep over this.”
Rasool, a seasoned diplomat and anti-apartheid veteran who previously served as ambassador from 2010 to 2015, has not commented publicly. Bruce emphasized the U.S. expectation of mutual respect: “We’ve had decent diplomacy with South Africa despite challenges. You need embassy officials who facilitate relationships, not undermine them.”
As of March 18, 2025, the episode underscores the Trump administration’s assertive stance toward perceived adversaries, leaving U.S.-South Africa relations on shaky ground as Rasool’s Friday deadline looms.
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