U.S. boycott of G20 shows contempt for international partnership, Africa
When the gaze of history looks back on this era, it will judge not only the policies that were enacted, but also the moments when leadership was absent. The Trump administration's decision to skip last weekend's Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, is one such moment — a glaring abdication of responsibility that underscores its disdain for global cooperation and its disregard for Africa’s rising influence on the world stage.
The G20 is not simply a ceremonial gathering. It is a forum where the world’s largest economies confront shared challenges, including climate change, economic inequality, global health and security. For the U.S., participation is not optional — it is a solemn duty. This dereliction of duty signals to our allies and adversaries alike that America’s commitment to multilateralism is negotiable. It is a deliberate snub at a moment when engagement with Africa is more critical than ever.
South Africa, as host, represents a country in a continent that is young, dynamic and increasingly central to global growth. Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies and an emerging middle class. Its voice matters in conversations about trade, technology and climate resilience.
By boycotting the G20 over claims that South Africa persecutes its Afrikaner white minority, Donald Trump has declared that African leadership is expendable. That message was amplified months before in May when Trump insulted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa by showing him fake videos about alleged anti-white discrimination in the Oval Office.
Let us be clear: Sharing doctored content to demean a foreign leader is not only juvenile and thoughtless, it is corrosive to diplomacy. These videos, which falsely portrayed Ramaphosa as corrupt and incompetent, were not harmless political theater. They were an assault on truth and an affront to a nation that has stood as a beacon of democratic progress on the continent. At a time when misinformation threatens democracies worldwide, the leader of the U.S. should be a bulwark against falsehoods — not its chief distributor.
The Trump administration is behaving more like a playground bully than a global leader. By skipping the G20, Trump has thrown away an opportunity to strengthen ties and reaffirm America’s role as a trusted ally.
The leadership void created by our absence is a gift to nations like China and Russia, who are only too happy for the opportunity to shape the future of the world without American input.
As a civil right leader and former mayor who has spent decades advocating for equity and justice, I understand the power of presence. Showing up matters. It matters in our neighborhoods, and it matters on the world stage. When America shows up, it brings with it the promise of shared prosperity and democratic values. When it does not, it leaves a vacuum that can be filled by forces hostile to those ideals.
Defenders of the Trump administration may argue there are greater priorities at home. But leadership is not a choice between domestic and global concerns; it is the understanding that they are intertwined. Jobs in Ohio depend on trade agreements negotiated in Johannesburg. Public health in Louisiana depends on global cooperation forged in summits like the G20. Ignoring this reality is not pragmatic — it is reckless.
The insult to Ramaphosa and the snub of last week's G20 are not isolated mistakes. They are part of an ongoing retreat from the principles of respect, engagement and the pursuit of common goals.
America cannot lead from the sidelines. We cannot lead by spreading lies. We lead by standing alongside other nations working toward a better future. The G20 was an opportunity to do that. The Trump administration chose to walk away. History will remember that choice as an epic failure of leadership.
Congress, policymakers and citizens must demand that America reclaim our role as a global leader by engaging with our allies, by promoting truth and denouncing lies and by honoring the partnerships that secure our shared future.
Marc H. Morial is president and CEO of the National Urban League and was mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002. He writes a twice-monthly column for the Sun-Times.