President Donald Trump launched the US presidency of the Group of 20 on Monday by erasing the outgoing South African host’s website content entirely. The G20 site now features a stark black-and-white portrait of Trump, emblazoned with “Miami 2026” and the phrase “The Best Is Yet to Come.”
Trump skipped last month’s G20 summit in Johannesburg, citing objections to South Africa’s treatment of the white minority and rejecting the country’s hosting role. The US president declared South Africa will not be invited to next year’s summit at his Doral golf club in Florida, a first in G20 history.
The Trump administration dismissed the South African G20 agenda, which emphasised a “just energy transition” and measures for debt sustainability in developing economies. A State Department statement said Trump would “return the G20 to focusing on its core mission of driving economic growth and prosperity.”
The US will emphasise three priorities: limiting regulatory burdens to boost prosperity, securing affordable energy, and pioneering new technologies and innovations. Trump, a vocal climate change skeptic, has repeatedly championed fossil fuel companies and promoted far-right claims of genocide against South Africa’s white Afrikaners.
South African officials reject allegations of systemic violence against the white minority, noting the country faces high overall violent crime rates. Critics warn the US move risks deepening tensions among G20 members and undermining long-standing multilateral diplomatic traditions.
