What's the truth behind Trump offering White South African farmers U.S. citizenship?

Johannesburg — President Trump doubled down Friday on his offer to grant U.S. citizenship to White Afrikaner farmers in South Africa, accusing their government of treating them "terribly." Mr. Trump said the U.S. would offer them "safety" and that they would be given a "rapid pathway to citizenship."

Mr. Trump had previously pointed to new land expropriation laws in South Africa that he claims are racist and a breach of the White farmers' human rights. In reaction to the laws, he has halted all foreign aid to South Africa.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries have been cool for several years, since then-U.S. Ambassador Reuben Brigety, during a May 2023 news conference, accused South Africa of loading weapons onto a U.S.-sanctioned Russian ship in Simon's Town harbor which then sailed back to Russia, where the weapons were allegedly used to help in the invasion of Ukraine.