US President Donald Trump confirmed Friday he would not attend the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) leaders' summit in South Africa in November, saying he would send Vice President JD Vance instead.
"I won't be going, JD will be going. Great vice president, and he looks forward to it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, after announcing that the United States will host the 2026 G20 conference in Miami.
Trump had in July signaled he would skip the summit and send someone else to represent the United States, citing his disapproval of South African policies.
The US president has taken issue with South African domestic and foreign policies - ranging from its land policy to its case accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza.
White House meeting
Trump signed an executive order in February to cut US financial assistance to South Africa. In May, Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a White House meeting.
Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also boycotted a G20 foreign ministers' meeting in South Africa, which has the G20 presidency from December 2024 to November 2025.
