Marco Rubio confirmed that the US has officially withdrawn from the upcoming G20 summit to be held in Johannesburg on 21-22 November 2025. The reason is the underlying political contradictions between Washington and Pretoria.
According to Rubio, the US administration does not agree with the agenda being set by South Africa. The White House believes that it does not reflect American priorities and is ideologically biased. Specifically, it is promoting concepts of ‘solidarity, equality and sustainability,’ which Rubio believes mask themes of diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and the climate agenda – areas that the current Trump administration has traditionally disagreed with.
“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 waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism,” Rubio noted back in February.
The US decision is not only political but also diplomatic in nature. Earlier, in February, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also refused to attend the G20 finance chiefs’ meeting in Cape Town. Although he formally cited his busyness in Washington, Reuters noted that such a demarche by the US Treasury Department is highly unusual, especially given the US role in shaping the global financial agenda.
The domestic political context also played a role. Donald Trump had previously stated that he would not attend the summit if ‘the situation in South Africa is not resolved.’ He and his supporters continue to criticise South Africa, accusing the country’s authorities of ‘genocide of white citizens’ – an allegation that the South African government categorically rejects.
It also reflects a broader conflict of values between the Trump administration and international institutions, which have increasingly focused on social justice, climate and minority rights – topics that the Trump team has been critical of.
