In a move that has raised diplomatic eyebrows, former U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated a far-right, pro-Israel media figure, Leo Brent Bozell III, as ambassador to South Africa. Bozell, known for his confrontational political views, has no prior diplomatic experience and leads a conservative media watchdog group.
This nomination arrives at a sensitive time in U.S.-South Africa relations. Washington has already accused South Africa of racial bias against white citizens, while Pretoria has criticized U.S. policies on Palestine and BRICS. Installing a media activist with deep ties to U.S. culture wars threatens to inflame tensions further.
What does this say about how Africa is viewed in Western diplomacy? Are strategic partnerships being replaced by ideological crusades? As South Africa reasserts its independence on the global stage, including in its criticism of Western double standards, Trump’s pick suggests that Washington is doubling down—not on diplomacy, but on division.
