Secretary of State Marco Rubio has banned South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States from entering the country.
Rubio has announced that Ebrahim Rasool, South Africa’s Ambassador to the U.S., was no longer welcome in the United States after Rasool claimed that President Donald Trump had been “mobilizing” white supremacy around the world. Rasool conveniently ignored the fact that South Africa has been encouraging the discrimination against and outright murder of white farmers in his own country.
“South Africa’s Ambassador to the United States is no longer welcome in our great country,” Rubio announced in a post on X on March 14.
“Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS,” the secretary of state added. “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”
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
Declaring an individual “persona non grata” is a formal declaration indicating that the individual is no longer welcome and needs to leave the host country.
In January, Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ national security experts Max Meizlish and Richard Goldberg called for President Donald Trump to revoke the credentials of Rasool, citing his obvious extremist views — writing: “Rasool’s track record represents all that is wrong with South Africa’s foreign policy under the [African National Congress]. He has hosted senior Hamas operatives. He has reportedly praised Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yassin as ‘one of the greatest inspirations.’ Just two weeks before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack against Israel, Rasool gloated about receiving a signed keffiyeh from the group’s former political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, whom Israel assassinated last July.”
Rasool has even defended the terror-supporting nation of Iran, while also working to strengthen Iran’s ties to Russia and supporting the anti-Western economic alliance, BRICS.
Rubio’s decision was praised by numerous conservatives, including Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Risch (R-ID).
“I applaud @secrubio for calling out the South African ambassador’s disgraceful, anti-American hate speech,” Risch said. “Suffice it to say that he is not cut out for diplomacy.”
I applaud @secrubio for calling out the South African ambassador’s disgraceful, anti-American hate speech. Suffice it to say that he is not cut out for diplomacy. https://t.co/PznudmAVbF
— Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman (@SenateForeign) March 14, 2025
