Staff Reports
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently made headlines by expelling Ebrahim Rasool, the South African ambassador to the United States, declaring him “persona non grata.” Rasool and his wife were escorted through the terminal back to their homeland, the very place he criticized. This swift action came after Rasool made some eyebrow-raising comments that surely ruffled more than a few feathers within conservative circles.
The drama unfolded when Rubio took to social media to announce his decision around March 14, pointing out Rasool’s track record of making incendiary statements about President Trump and the MAGA movement. Rasool had publicly opined that the U.S. administration’s stance on South Africa’s controversial property laws and alliances was all rooted in a supposed white supremacist agenda. He claimed that Trump’s policies represented a reaction to an increasingly diverse America and that they were undermining the global order. Someone should probably remind Rasool that he’s not exactly the poster child for unity.
South Africa appears to have its own set of issues, not the least of which is Rasool’s checkered history. His career has been marred by allegations of supporting Hamas and by previous failures to make any significant connections within the Washington establishment, which is a real achievement when you consider the current climate. It’s puzzling that he has the audacity to lecture the U.S. about being a “historical antidote to supremacism” when apartheid was a not-so-distant memory in his own country. The irony is thicker than a pot of South African stew.
If one’s title comes with the baggage of inciting violence, the last thing a nation should be doing is allowing someone like Rasool to serve as its ambassador. The country has recently struggled with growing hostility toward white citizens, notably farmers, under the banner of political leaders shouting misappropriated slogans, which have led to violence. These chants inviting harm against farmers have been met with disturbing enthusiasm from the crowds. Yet, mainstream media tends to gloss over such alarming rhetoric when it comes from the left, opting instead to focus on so-called “right-wing commentators.”
Here's How South Africa Ambassador Reacted to Being Expelled From the United States https://t.co/CuZvXa49qu
— JimeV Augmented Mouse (@Jelwoodv) March 24, 2025
Perhaps Rasool should reflect on his own government before placing blame on the U.S. South Africa has recently sought to paint Israel as a genocidal state while ignoring its own genocidal undertones toward its white population. The uncanny timing of this rhetoric comes after the horrific Hamas attack on Israel, which only bolsters the argument that South Africa should be keeping its nose out of international affairs. Even Democrats, like Sen. John Fetterman, have recognized the irony and called for the nation to sit this one out, making a point that might surprise those following his unkempt hoodie aesthetic more than his political savvy.
As for Rasool’s dramatic return to his homeland, he made sure to put on a show, declaring through a megaphone that being labeled “persona non grata” is a humiliation, but one that he would wear proudly. Coming home to cheers at a rally might have given him some solace, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that his grace as a former ambassador didn’t stop him from making enemies on the political stage. Ultimately, his departure has only underscored the necessity of maintaining a firm stance against those who do not respect our nation and its values.
