Washington: The US has expelled South Africa’s ambassador to Washington, Ebrahim Rasool, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio declaring that he is “no longer welcome in our great country.”
In a post on X, Rubio accused Rasool of harboring anti-American sentiments and criticizing President Donald Trump. Rubio referred to the ambassador as a “race-baiting politician” and stated that, “we have nothing to discuss with him.”
This rare diplomatic move further escalates the growing tensions between the two nations.
Rubio’s remarks on Friday, 14th of March referenced an article from right-wing outlet Breitbart, which cited Rasool’s statements during an online lecture about the Trump administration.
In his speech, Rasool described Trump’s political strategy as an attack on those in power by mobilizing supremacist ideologies at home and abroad. He also pointed to demographic shifts in the US, noting that projections indicate the white voting electorate will drop to 48%.
In response, Rubio labeled Rasool as “PERSONA NON GRATA,” using the Latin term for an unwelcome individual. Secretary of State’s statement came as he returned from a foreign ministers’ meeting in Canada.
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.https://t.co/mnUnwGOQdx
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 14, 2025
Relations between the US and South Africa have been deteriorating since Trump took office. Last month, Trump signed an executive order freezing US aid to South Africa, citing “egregious actions” by the country, including “unjust racial discrimination” against white Afrikaners—descendants of Dutch settlers.
The order also referenced South Africa’s Expropriation Act, alleging that it unfairly targets Afrikaners by allowing the government to seize private land.
A White House statement justified the aid freeze by accusing South Africa of supporting “bad actors on the world stage” and permitting violent attacks on minority farmers.
Rasool previously served as South Africa’s ambassador to the US from 2010 to 2015 before being reappointed in 2025.
Born in Cape Town, he and his family were forcibly removed from their home when he was nine, as the area was designated for white residents under apartheid-era segregation laws. Rasool has often cited this experience as a defining moment that shaped his political path.
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