Donald Trump’s Wild West Wing

We got another round of extraordinary scenes coming out of Donald Trump’s Oval Office this afternoon. During his meeting with ​​Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s President, Trump asked his staffers to press play on video footage showing what appeared to be violent chants against white farmers.

“We have thousands of stories talking about it, we have documentaries, we have news stories,” the US President said over the audio. He would not let President Ramaphosa look away. The footage went on, to which President Ramaphosa finally responded: “This is not government policy.” President Trump did not let up. “They’re being executed and they happen to be white, and most of them happen to be farmers, and that’s a tough situation.”

The exchange has resurfaced the debate around what is really happening in South Africa. Trump calls it a “genocide,” recently offering 59 farmers refugee status in the United States. His detractors say this is not the case. Still, there is broad agreement that the ongoing tensions and growing violence against farmers (not just Afrikaners) is a dangerous and serious matter.

But what is happening in the Oval Office is another matter entirely. The rulebook for visits and public presentations has been tossed out the window, into the Rose Garden, and seemingly set on fire. This is no longer the setting for pleasantries or the place to get out joint messaging – at least, that is by no means guaranteed. Trump’s Oval Office is the new wild west in politics: a place with no pre-agreed rules, where just about anything can happen.

This seems to include practically all scenarios. If you’re in the good graces of the President, you can have a seemingly flawless visit, as the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer experienced back in February. If you’re not, all kinds of antics can take place. Other people might start jumping in, as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky experienced, with Vice President J.D. Vance decided to offer his two cents. Lights might be dimmed and videos might be played. 

It’s a performance, and the part played by the foreign leader isn’t realized until after the play has started. Who the audience is also plays a big part in which way it goes. Elon Musk was announced to be attending the meeting in the West Wing – showing up as one of the most vocal critics of the South African government and its Expropriation Bill, which has led to many of these farm land disputes. As the DoGE founder prepares to step back from his role slashing the state, the President certainly gave him a memorable performance to take back to the private sector.

The lawlessness of the West Wing these days presents a predicament to its visitors and to its residents. Leaders showing up to greet the President can only guess what might happen on camera. But the President and his team may find leaders more hesitant to take the stage. That’s going to make these many trade deals Trump says he wants to negotiate more difficult to secure – especially if there are any other outstanding issues between the US and the visiting country (say, a country that does not meet its NATO requirements) that might be brought up.

The Oval Office has long been one of the most powerful places to do business. Now, it’s a power untamed.