Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that he would not attend a summit of foreign ministers from the G20 nations in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month, citing the host country’s embrace of “anti-Americanism.”
Rubio cited an ongoing controversy about the country’s Expropriation Act; the controversial themes of South Africa’s presidency of the G20; and the general thrust of South Africa’s foreign policy, which sides with America’s enemies.
I will NOT attend the G20 summit in Johannesburg.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) February 5, 2025
South Africa is doing very bad things. Expropriating private property. Using G20 to promote “solidarity, equality, & sustainability.” In other words: DEI and climate change.
My job is to advance America’s national interests, not…
Rubio cited South Africa’s “anti-Americanism,” likely referring to South Africa’s repeated habit of siding with Russia, China, and Iran, as well as its leading role in defending Palestinian terrorists at home and abroad. (President Donald Trump also recently raised objections to South Africa’s policies of racial redistribution, calling them a human rights violation.)
South African economist Phumlani Majozi also recently explained his own objections to the chosen G20 theme:
During his special address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, two weeks ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a global pursuit for “equality”.
I was not surprised to hear Ramaphosa advocating for “equality”. He’s a long-time supporter of “equality”. The “equality of outcomes”, not the “equality of opportunity” which is what I believe should be pursued by nations worldwide.
…
I’m not happy with the summit’s theme. The theme of “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”, is misguided, given the poverty challenges the world faces. Especially, the poverty challenges faced by the African continent. The world’s biggest challenge is poverty.
The U.S. Treasury summarizes the G20 group:
The G-7, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States, has met regularly since the mid-1980s at the finance minister and central bank governor level. The G-20 has also met regularly since 1999 at the finance minister and central bank governor level. In 2008, the G-20 country leaders began meeting regularly to address the global financial crisis and in 2009 the G-20 was elevated to the premier international economic forum. The members of the G-20 are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S., as well as the European Union, represented by the rotating council presidency and the European Central Bank.
The U.S. assumes the presidency of the G20 next, in December 2025.
Rubio’s announcement came just hours before South African President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the annual State of the Nation address. As South African journalist Carol Paton put it, the Trump administration’s criticism now overshadows the event: “Suddenly, there is a sense that Washington is watching us and that the government and the president should choose their words carefully. … In a Trumpian world, SA will have to be more pragmatic.”
It is unclear whether President Trump will attend the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa in November.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
