US Slams Ramaphosa For ‘Running His Mouth’ After Claiming Washington Reversed G20 Boycott

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has launched a scathing attack on President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing him of “running his mouth” after he suggested that the United States had changed its stance on boycotting this weekend’s G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg.

Ramaphosa told guests at a European Union leaders’ event in Sandton on Thursday that Pretoria had received “notice from the United States … about a change of mind” regarding Washington’s previously announced boycott of the summit. He said the development indicated that the US would participate “in one shape, form, or another”.

US Rejects Claim of a ‘Change of Mind’

The White House moved quickly to dispute Ramaphosa’s remarks. Speaking during a press briefing, Leavitt described the South African president’s comments as both inaccurate and unwelcome.

“I saw the South African president running his mouth a little bit against the United States and the president of the United States earlier today, and that language is not appreciated by the president or his team,” she said.

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Leavitt stressed that Washington’s position had not shifted. The Trump administration would not engage in summit discussions or negotiations, maintaining its boycott of the event.

Instead, Washington would only send a diplomatic representative to the ceremonial hand-over of the G20 presidency from South Africa to the United States.

American officials clarified that this presence should not be interpreted as participation in the summit, directly contradicting Ramaphosa’s implication of broader United States involvement.

Ramaphosa Stands by His Interpretation

Ramaphosa framed the development as positive, arguing that “boycott politics never work” and that even an eleventh-hour signal from Washington was preferable to a total absence.

He noted that discussions regarding the nature of the United States delegation were ongoing, particularly as world leaders had already begun arriving in Johannesburg. The uncertainty, he suggested, reflected the fluid nature of diplomatic talks.

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According to diplomatic sources, officials from the United States Embassy in Pretoria are expected to represent Washington during the hand-over ceremony.

.@PressSec: “The United States is not participating in official talks at the G20 in South Africa. I saw the South African President running his mouth a little bit against the United States and @POTUS… and that language is not appreciated by @POTUS and his team.” pic.twitter.com/82sli52oRD

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) November 20, 2025

The public dispute has injected tension ahead of the G20 summit, with Pretoria presenting what it viewed as a breakthrough while Washington insists that no such shift has occurred.

UPDATED: 11/21/2025 at 9:04 – This post has been updated to include an X post from a White House spokesperson clarifying that the United States will not be participating officially at the G2O in South Africa.

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