U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Declares South African Ambassador Persona Non Grata

On March 14, 2025, Rubio’s decision, which he justified by labeling Rasool a “race-baiting politician who hates America and hates [President Donald Trump],” was tied to specific remarks made by the ambassador that drew the ire of the Secretary of State.

The Triggering Incident

The immediate catalyst for Rubio’s declaration appears to be a speech delivered by Ambassador Rasool on March 14, 2025, during a virtual seminar hosted by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection, a Johannesburg-based think tank. According to an article from Breitbart News, which Rubio linked in his X post, Rasool accused President Donald Trump of leading a “global white supremacist movement.” Rasool reportedly framed Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement as a response to demographic shifts in the U.S., where white people are projected to soon lose majority status, and suggested that this ideology was being projected internationally. He further criticized Trump’s policies, including the administration’s opposition to South Africa’s land expropriation laws and its stance against international institutions, as motivated by “white supremacism” and disrespect for the global order.

Rubio seized on these comments, reposting the Breitbart article and declaring, “South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country. Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.” The misspelling of Rasool’s first name as “Emrahim” in Rubio’s initial post was corrected in a subsequent one, but the substance of his accusation remained unchanged.

Broader Context of U.S.-South Africa Tensions

The expulsion of Rasool is not an isolated incident but rather the latest chapter in a rapidly worsening relationship between Washington and Pretoria. Since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January 2025, his administration has taken a hardline stance against South Africa. Key points of contention include South Africa’s land reform policies and its foreign policy positions, notably its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which the U.S., a staunch ally of Israel, has opposed.

In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order suspending all U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing “unjust racial discrimination” against white Afrikaner farmers under the country’s Expropriation Act of 2024. This legislation, signed into law by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in January 2025, allows the government to seize unused agricultural land—sometimes without compensation—to address racial disparities in land ownership stemming from the apartheid era. Trump and his close adviser, South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, have repeatedly claimed that these policies target white farmers, a narrative that has fueled punitive measures from the U.S., including Rubio’s earlier decision to boycott a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting hosted by South Africa in February.

Rasool’s vocal support for South Africa’s ICJ case against Israel and his criticisms of U.S. foreign policy likely compounded the administration’s frustration. His remarks on March 14, tying Trump’s domestic and international actions to a broader supremacist agenda, appear to have been the final straw for Rubio.

Diplomatic Implications Between South Africa and United States

Declaring an ambassador persona non grata—Latin for “unwelcome person”—is a severe diplomatic action under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which grants host countries the right to expel foreign diplomats at their discretion. While the U.S. has occasionally expelled lower-ranking diplomats, targeting a sitting ambassador is highly unusual and signals a profound rupture in bilateral relations. South Africa’s presidency responded on March 15, calling the expulsion “regrettable” but affirming its commitment to maintaining a “mutually beneficial relationship” with the United States through diplomatic channels.

Rubio’s reliance on a Breitbart article to justify his decision has raised eyebrows, with some critics suggesting that the move reflects a broader pattern of the Trump administration punishing nations that diverge from its geopolitical priorities. The expulsion aligns with Rubio’s earlier rhetoric, such as his refusal to attend the G20 meeting in Johannesburg, where he accused South Africa of promoting “anti-American” agendas like diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and climate change policies.