South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Oval Office on Wednesday, where he tried to lighten the mood with a light comment.
When asked by a reporter about President Donald Trump's controversial acceptance of a $400 million Qatari plane, Ramaphosa said, "I don't have a plane to give you."
Trump first replied with a joke, saying, "If your country provided the United States Air Force with a plane, I would take it."
But the atmosphere changed immediately when the same journalist asked Trump about the morality of taking such a gift. Trump fired back curtly, "You're a bad reporter. You ought to be ashamed of yourself," and later refused the reporter an opportunity to ask any more questions.
Attempting to diffuse the tension, Ramaphosa went back to humor: "I'm sorry I don't have a plane to give you." Trump smiled and said, "I wish you did," making Ramaphosa laugh. "I would take it. If your country gave the United States Air Force a plane, I would take it."
Ramaphosa simply said, "Okay."
Earlier during their discussion, Trump had sounded more serious, presenting Ramaphosa with a video he asserted showed "sites where white farmers are being buried," along with articles claiming targeted murders. "These are burial sites here. over a thousand. they're all White farmers," Trump explained as the video was playing.
Ramaphosa, whose face remained neutral, replied that he hadn't watched the video and asked the source of it. He also pushed back at Trump's assertions. "There is crime in South Africa, and the victims are mostly Black," Ramaphosa replied calmly.
Trump cut in, "The farmers aren't Black."
Asked later how the meeting was, Ramaphosa said to the press, "It went very well."
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