South Africa’s Expelled Ambassador Returns Home to Hero’s Welcome

Ebrahim Rasool, ousted by the Trump administration over remarks on the MAGA movement, defends his stance and calls for balancing dignity with repairing US relations.

Ebrahim Rasool was expelled from the US after describing the MAGA movement as a 'supremacist instinct' during a webinar, a characterization he stands by as an academic analysis.
Upon his return to South Africa, Rasool was greeted by hundreds of supporters at Cape Town International Airport, where he referred to his expulsion as a 'badge of dignity.'
US-South Africa relations have deteriorated over disputes including South Africa's ICJ case against Israel alleging genocide and US accusations of anti-white policies and support for Hamas and Iran.
The Trump administration recently cut financial aid to South Africa and accused the country of seizing land from white farmers, a claim widely disputed and unsupported by evidence.
Rasool has emphasized the importance of maintaining South Africa's values, resisting US pressure on the ICJ case, while seeking to restore diplomatic ties with the United States.