(StraightShooterNews.com) – U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed South Africa as he recently announced his decision to forgo attending the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg due to the host nation’s purported “anti-American” agenda.
See the tweet below.
Rubio justified his decision by pointing to what he sees as South Africa’s “very bad things,” specifically expropriating private property and promoting ideas he equates to DEI and climate change at the G20 meeting.
For Rubio, these positions are contrary to American values and interests, and he refused to lend support by attending.
“My job is to advance America’s national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism,” he stated.
The backdrop to Rubio’s stance includes ongoing U.S. criticisms of South Africa’s land reforms. These reforms seek to alter the historical imbalance of land ownership remaining from apartheid.
President Trump has vocally opposed these reforms and threatened to suspend aid to South Africa over alleged mistreatment in implementing these policies.
Moreover, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has worked to dispel these concerns, emphasizing that reforms are legal and equitable, drawing parallels with the U.S.’s eminent domain laws.
However, the divide remains. Tensions are exacerbated by other points of political divergence, including South Africa’s stance on international conflicts and its role within the BRICS alliance, practices that the U.S. finds discomfiting.
Rubio’s choice to skip the summit could risk America’s exclusion from critical discussions. As the world’s largest economy, the U.S. would normally play a pivotal role in the G20 talks.
The gathering could have offered a venue to engage directly with figures such as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov—a notable opportunity amid continuing challenges in global diplomacy, including the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
This diplomatic snub is unusual for a Secretary of State. How this decision impacts the international community and the G20 is yet to be fully understood.
Yet, it underscores the U.S. administration’s firm stance on prioritizing national interests over engaging in forums where core American values are perceived to be undermined.
The tensions arising from this situation could prompt a reassessment of U.S. relationships not only with South Africa but potentially with other nations looking closely at the dynamics of this G20 episode.
In diplomacy, actions speak louder than words, and Rubio’s absence sends a clear message ripe with significance.
I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” In other words: DEI and climate change.
My job is to advance America’s national interests, not…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 5, 2025
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