Boycotted G20 in South Africa, Left an Empty Chair
Trump boycotted the first African-hosted G20 based on debunked "white genocide" claims. South Africa refused to hand the presidency gavel to a junior U.S. official, leaving an empty chair. Trump then banned SA from the 2026 G20.
Trump boycotted the G20 summit in South Africa — the first G20 hosted on the African continent — making the United States the only absent nation. The boycott was based on the debunked conspiracy theory of "white genocide" against white Afrikaner farmers in South Africa.
At the closing ceremony, no U.S. official was present to receive the rotating G20 presidency gavel. South Africa's President Ramaphosa refused to hand it to a junior embassy official, calling it "an insult." He said he would hand the presidency to "an empty chair."
The G20 declaration was adopted without U.S. input — the White House called this "shameful" despite having boycotted the event.
Trump then announced: "South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20" — threatening to exclude a fellow G20 member from the forum the U.S. would host. The combination of boycotting based on a racist conspiracy theory, being absent while the world made decisions, and then retaliating against the host damaged American standing in Africa and across the Global South.