President Donald Trump has nominated Leo Brent Bozell III, a conservative media watchdog and vocal supporter of Israel, as the next U.S. ambassador to South Africa. The nomination, listed on the U.S. Congress website on Monday, March 24th, comes amid heightened tensions between the two nations.
Bozell, founder of the Media Research Center, has built a career challenging what he views as liberal bias in mainstream media. A former critic of Trump, he has since aligned himself with the president’s policies. His nomination requires Senate confirmation before he can assume the role.
His appointment comes amid strained U.S.-South Africa relations, with the Trump administration criticizing South Africa’s ties to Iran and its legal case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Trump has also cited concerns over alleged land expropriation and white genocide in South Africa—claims widely discredited by European Union, international organizations, human rights groups and South African officials. There is no evidence of a systematic campaign against white farmers or government-led land seizures targeting white citizens. Despite this, Trump signed an executive order suspending U.S. aid to South Africa and granting refugee status to Afrikaners based on these false allegations.
Tensions rose when U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expelled South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool for calling Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement a supremacist reaction to diversity. Upon returning to South Africa, Rasool received a warm welcome at Cape Town International Airport, where hundreds of supporters, many wearing the colors of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), gathered to cheer him on. Addressing the crowd, Rasool reaffirmed his stance, making remarks that further highlighted the ongoing rift between the two countries.
South African officials have not formally responded to Bozell’s nomination. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya indicated that President Cyril Ramaphosa would carefully consider the appointment before making a decision.
