Business mogul Johann Rupert, also in the room, attempted to bring clarity:
“It’s not only white farmers. It’s across the board,” he noted, referring to South Africa’s broader crime challenges.
Ramaphosa doubled down on the facts:
“Our government is completely, completely against what he was saying.”
Legal and Political Fallout
The optics of Trump accepting such a high-value foreign gift — and then defending it with bluster — has raised red flags.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell emphasized that the Department of Defense followed protocol:
“The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations.”
