'Political kryptonite': Expert stunned as Elon Musk's approval nears 'minus-100'

Travis Gettys
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY


Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacts while wearing a cap with the words "Gulf of America" as he attends a cabinet meeting held by U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 30, 2025. 

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Elon Musk announced that he's leaving politics because he's "done enough," but CNN's Harry Enten presented polling data that shows he's become "kryptonite" to the Republicans who took his cash and gave him vast influence.

The tech mogul slashed thousands of government jobs as head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency and appeared at White House events alongside president Donald Trump, but Enten told "CNN News Central" that he has become persona non grata in recent weeks.

"How unpopular is he?" Enten said. "How low can you go? Oh, my – okay, take a look here: Elon Musk's net favorability rating, look at this shift back in 2017, before he really started this politics thing. He was at plus-24 points. Look at where he is now: Whoa, he fell through the floor, minus-19 points. Among Democrats, the fall was even more dramatic. We're talking about going from plus-35 points on net favorability rating. That is quite a popular guy among Democrats, but get this – now down to minus-91 points. You can't really go lower than that. I guess you could go down to minus-100 points, but he became political kryptonite."

"He was greatly disliked by the American public and greatly, greatly, greatly disliked by Democrats," Enten added, "and obviously we saw that in Wisconsin when, of course, he spent all that money and then the liberal won that Supreme Court race."

Musk's foray into politics destroyed the reputation of his Tesla electric car brand, as well.

"We're going to compare General Motors and Tesla," Enten said. "General Motors, quite well-liked by the American people, plus-23 points on net favorability rating. But look at Tesla, minus-20 points. So this idea that Tesla could somehow separate itself from Elon Musk, the American people saw the exact same way, and, of course, Tesla is a business. They're in the business of selling cars. Awfully difficult to sell cars when you have a minus-20 point net favorability rating driven by Elon Musk's net favorability rating, right around the same mark, and it's not a big surprise that Tesla's sales had fallen in the past, at least in the first quarter, compared to where they were a year ago."

"It turns out that Elon Musk's political kryptonite was also becoming kryptonite for selling cars," Enten added.

Watch below or click the link here.

Trump’s South African Refugee Policy Exposes Racial Double Standard



Afrikaners enroute to America last Monday, May 12, 2025.

 (Photo/Donald Trump for President Facebook page)

By Levi Rickert 

 May 19, 2025

Native News Online 

Opinion. The Washington Post headline from last Monday—“White South Africans arrive at Dulles as refugees under Trump order”—immediately caught my attention. The article reported that approximately 50 White South Africans, known as Afrikaners, were admitted to the United States as refugees under a humanitarian designation made possible by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February.

What stood out to me was the contrast in how this group, many of whom are farmers, was granted entry under humanitarian grounds, while refugees from countries such as Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan fleeing persecution or war have often been denied entry.

Let’s not forget: Donald Trump instituted a travel ban affecting Muslim countries, slashed refugee admissions to historic lows, caged asylum-seeking children at the southern border, and called majority-Black and brown nations “sh*thole countries.” 

During his first administration, Trump consistently used scare tactics about caravans from Central America to drum up political support. He separated families under a zero-tolerance policy, and his immigration agenda became a rallying cry for white nationalists. But now, when White South Africans express fear about land reform or rural crime, suddenly the door swings open.

For years, Trump has painted refugees as invaders—unless, of course, they fit a certain mold. When the narrative shifts from fear to welcome, the distinction is telling.

It is nothing short of hypocrisy.

Trump’s executive order claimed that minority Afrikaners were facing unfair treatment in South Africa. Trump and Elon Musk, an immigrant from South Africa, have even suggested the South African farmers were victims of genocide.

The term “genocide” carries deep weight, particularly for Native Americans, whose ancestors suffered through genocide marked by war, starvation, rampant disease, and the forced assimilation of Indian boarding schools.

Calling what's happening in South Africa a "White genocide" is inaccurate, inflammatory, and dangerous. It diverts attention from real issues—like rural safety, economic inequality, and land reform—and turns them into weapons of racial fear.

What makes this even more cynical is the invocation of “farmer killings” in South Africa—a complex issue distorted into a race-based narrative by far-right outlets. Trump echoed this in 2018, tweeting about the “large-scale killing of farmers,” parroting conspiracy theories with no basis in reality. His focus was never justice; it was grievance politics.

The claim that White South African farmers are being subjected to genocide has been widely debunked by experts, human rights organizations, and crime analysts. 

While South Africa does face high levels of violent crime, these issues impact all communities. In fact, most murder victims in the country are Black, not White.

If the Trump administration is truly concerned about violence in South Africa, the conversation should focus on shared safety, equitable development, and historical justice for all communities.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Lu attempted to justify Trump’s move to bring in the Afrikaners into our country by saying they “could be assimilated easily into our country.”

This isn’t about protecting farmers. It’s about protecting whiteness.

This justification statement for allowing Afrikaners into our country exposes the hollow core of Donald Trump’s so-called "America First" rhetoric. While humanitarianism should never be selective, Trump’s sudden interest in refugee protection isn’t rooted in compassion—it’s rooted in ideology.

The hypocrisy couldn’t be more glaring. Refugees of color fleeing political violence, climate collapse, and narco-state terror are criminalized. But White South Africans, facing vastly different circumstances and not meeting the traditional criteria of “persecution,” are offered sanctuary under the guise of shared values and civilization.

For Native people in this country, the irony runs even deeper. The descendants of settlers who seized Indigenous land are now being extended the protection of a system that has historically marginalized and exterminated others in the name of expansion and racial hierarchy.

True justice means consistent compassion. It means protecting all vulnerable people, not just those who reinforce a supremacist narrative. If Trump truly cared about refugees, he would welcome those fleeing war in Sudan, political oppression in Nicaragua, or climate disaster in the Pacific Islands. But he doesn’t.

He cares about building a nation that looks the way he wants it to look—white, nostalgic, and obedient. His selective empathy isn’t a policy. It’s a projection of power.

And for those of us who know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of systemic erasure, that’s a truth we won’t forget.

Thayék gde nwéndëmen - We are all related.

'Blindsided': South African newspaper accuses Trump of hoodwinking nation's leader

Jennifer Bowers Bahney
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa looks on as he meets U.S. President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

The Sunday Times based in Johannesburg, South Africa, accused President Donald Trump of blindsiding the African nation's leader who arrived in Washington Wednesday for an Oval Office meeting.

"US president Donald Trump blindsided his counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa during their meeting in the White House's Oval Office by playing a montage of video clips of EFF leader Julius Malema singing about killing white people," the Times published.

The EFF, or Economic Freedom Fighters, are described as a "South African Marxist–Leninist and pan-Africanist political party."

"Just moments after Ramaphosa answered a question on the false white genocide narrative, Trump asked for the lights to be dimmed and the collation of the Malema clips was played," the Times reported.

Malema can be heard singing "Kill the Boer," referring to the Dutch-speaking colonists now known as Afrikaners.

Trump repeated his unsubstantiated claim that "thousands" of white Afrikaners were clamoring to get into the United States as refugees because they were "afraid of being killed" in a "white genocide." Trump called it "the opposite of apartheid" and said the U.S. press would never report on it.

"Ramaphosa had just told Trump that he would allow, in their private meeting, his delegation... to explain to him that there was no white genocide in the country."

That's when the paper said Trump "jumped in and directed that the video clip be played."

Ramaphosa's delegation included his minister of agriculture and Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen, billionaire Johann Rupert and golfer Ernie Els, "all of whom are white," according to the paper.

"The playing of the clip...came after a South African reporter asked Trump what it would take for him to be convinced that there was no white genocide in South Africa," the Times reported.

"Ramaphosa jumped in to respond to the question, saying, 'Well I can answer that for the President,' with Trump agreeing, 'I would rather have him answer,'" the paper reported.

“It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans, some of whom are his good friends like those who are here," Ramaphosa continued. "But when we have talks between us around a quiet table it will take President Trump to listen to them, I'm not going to be repeating what I've been saying, I would say if there was Afrikaner farmer genocide I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of agriculture, he would not be with me.

“So it would take him, President Trump, listening to their stories, to their perspectives, that is the answer to your question.”

Read The Sunday Times Johannesburg article here.


CNN fact-checks 'truly extraordinary' Trump attack on president of South Africa

Tom Boggioni
May 21, 2025

RAW STORY


CNN's Dana Bash commenting on Oval Office meeting. (CNN screenshot)

CNN host Dana Bash and fact-checker Daniel Dale pounced on Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon after the U.S. president "ambushed" South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office with patently false claims of murders of white farmers in his country.

After Trump showed a highly manipulative video disparaging South Africa, he followed up by making sweeping assertions and arguing with the African leader, which seemed to have stunned CNN's Bash.

Cutting away, Bash told her audience, "Okay we're going to continue to monitor what has been a truly extraordinary what? Half an hour plus inside the Oval Office. I just, I want to go back to Daniel Dale because there's a lot of fact-checking to do."

Dale jumped in, explaining, "The last nine months of 2024 in South Africa: 19,696 murders. How many of them occurred on farms? 36."

"36 about 0.2 percent," he re-emphasized. "That includes employees like security staff, farm workers. How many of them were actual farmers? Seven out of more than 19,000 and it's not even clear that those are all white farmers. Contrary to what the president said, many farmers in South Africa are Black."

"Even the white ones who have been victims of crime, it's not clear, have been targeted for racial reasons," he elaborated. "Experts and white farmers themselves in South Africa have repeatedly told media outlets and think tanks that they feel they are often targeted for robbery and even attacks because they are geographically isolated and therefore vulnerable."

You can watch below or at the link.

'No, no, no, no!' South African president refutes Trump's claim of reverse Apartheid

Jennifer Bowers Bahney
May 21, 2025 

RAW ST0RY

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump (CNN screenshot)

President Donald Trump continued to repeat his unsubstantiated claim of "white genocide" in South Africa — calling it the "opposite of Apartheid" — as the country's president looked clearly uncomfortable sitting next to him in the Oval Office.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tried to respond to Trump's insistence that "thousands of white South Africans" were seeking refugee status in the United States because they were "afraid of being killed."

"You do allow them to take land," Trump claimed as Ramaphosa protested.

"No, no, no, no, no! Nobody can —"

Trump interrupted, "Then, when they take the land, they kill the white farmer. And when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them."

"No, there is —"

"Nothing happens," Trump repeated.

Earlier, Ramaphosa tried to explain that far more Black South Africans are killed than white Afrikaners.

But, no matter the question from the press, Trump continued to return to his theory of a "white genocide" — over and over again.

"I will say that, people are fleeing South Africa for their own safety. Their land is being confiscated, and in many cases they're being killed. And, that scene of — you see how many crosses they had. Those crosses, that's a dead person in every one of them. And those trucks or cars are paying their respects to all of those dead people on a Sunday morning."

Ramaphosa shifted in his seat beside Trump, running his hand over his face.

"That's a rough thing to explain away," Trump continued. "A correct and a fair media exposes things. But we have a very corrupt media. They won't even report this. If this were the other way around this would be the biggest story. Now, I will say, Apartheid — terrible. That was reported all the time. This is sort of the opposite of Apartheid. What's happening now is never reported."

Watch the clip below via CNN or click here.

'Truly fake': Trump lashes out about Afrikaner refugees in front of South Africa president

Jennifer Bowers Bahney
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and U.S. President Donald Trump (CNN screenshot)

During his Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa Wednesday, Donald Trump lashed out at the "fake news" for asking a question about white Afrikaners being granted refugee status in the United States over unsubstantiated claims of "genocide."

NBC's Peter Alexander was the first to ask, "Can you explain to Americans why it's appropriate to welcome white Afrikaners here when other refugees like Afghans, Venezuelans, Haitians have all had their protected status revoked?"

"Well, this is a group, NBC, that is truly fake news," Trump began. "They ask a lot of questions in a very pointed way. They're not questions, they're statements."

Trump continued, "We've had tremendous complaints about Africa, about other countries, too, from people. they say there's a lot of bad things going on in Africa. And that's what we're going to be discussing today.

When you say we don't take others, all you have to do is take a look at the southern border. We let 21 million people come through our border totally unchecked, totally unvetted. They came from all over the world.

Trump repeated his claim that "they come from prisons, they come from mental institutions, they come from street gangs, and drug dealers."

"So don't say that we didn't take them. We take them. We're trying to get them out as fast as we can, and we're doing record business on that.

"But, we do have, a lot of a lot of people are very concerned with regard to South Africa. and that's really the purpose of the meeting, and we'll see how that turns out. But we have many people that feel they're being persecuted, and they're coming to the United States. And we take from many, many locations if we feel there's persecution or genocide going on. And we had a lot of people."

Trump then turned to President Ramaphosa, saying, "I must tell you, Mr. president, we have had a tremendous number of people, especially since they've seen this, generally, they're white farmers and they're fleeing South Africa. And it's a, you know, it's a very sad thing to see, but I hope we can have an explanation of that, because I know you don't want that. And it's, you know, it's a kind of a different meeting. Normally we have meetings, we talk about trade, and we'll be talking about trade and other things, but that certainly will be a subject that comes up."

Watch the clip below via CNN.

The Ambush Office: Trump’s Oval becomes test of nerve for world leaders

By AFP
May 21, 2025


Trump has turned what were staid diplomatic "photo sprays" under his predecessor Joe Biden into punishing, hour-long tests of nerve in the heart of the US presidency, played out on live television - Copyright AFP Jim WATSON

Danny KEMP

For world leaders an invitation to the Oval Office used to be a coveted prize. Under Donald Trump it’s become a ticket to a brutal political ambush.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa became the latest victim in a long line that started with Trump’s notorious row with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky in February.

Trump has turned what were staid diplomatic “photo sprays” under his predecessor Joe Biden into punishing, hour-long tests of nerve in the heart of the US presidency, played out on live television.

The sight has become all too familiar — a world leader perched nervously on the edge of their gold-upholstered chair in front of the famed fireplace, waiting to see what happens.

Will the 78-year-old Republican lay on the charm? Will he show off the new gold-plated decor he has been proudly installing in the Oval? Will he challenge his guest on tariffs or trade or US military assistance?

Or will he simply tear into them?

Nobody knows before they get there. All they know is that when the cameras are allowed into the most exclusive room in the White House, they will be treading the most perilous of political tightropes.

And the hot, confined space of the Oval Office adds to the pressure-cooker environment as the unpredictable billionaire seeks to wrongfoot his guests and gain the upper hand.

– ‘Turn the lights down’ –

Trump set the benchmark when he hosted Zelensky on February 28.

Tensions over Trump’s sudden pivot towards Russia spilled into the open as a red-faced US president berated the Ukrainian leader and accused him of being ungrateful for US military aid against Russia.

Many wondered if it was a deliberate ambush — especially as Vice President JD Vance appeared to step in to trigger the row.

Whether or not it was on purpose, the goal in foreign capitals ever since has been to “avoid a Zelensky.”

But Ramaphosa’s visit to the Oval on Wednesday was the closest yet to a repeat — and this time it was clearly planned.

Ramaphosa arrived with top South African golfers Ernie Els and Retief Goosen in tow, hoping to take the edge off the golf-mad Trump’s unfounded claims of a “genocide” against white South African farmers.

But his face was a picture of bemusement when after a question on the issue, Trump suddenly said to aides and said: “Turn the lights down, and just put this on.”

A video of South African politicians chanting “kill the farmer” began to play on a screen set up at the side of the room. A stunned Ramaphosa looked at the screen, then at Trump, and then back at the screen.

Yet unlike Zelensky, who argued back with an increasingly enraged Trump, the South African president largely stayed calm as he argued his case.

Nor was he asked to leave the White House as Zelensky was, causing the Ukrainian to miss lunch.

– ‘Ratings GOLD!’ –

Other leaders have also done their homework. Some have emerged mostly unscathed, or even with some credit.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, despite some nervous body language, stood his ground against Trump’s calls for his country to become the 51st US state and insisted that his country was “never for sale.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer won over Trump with a letter from King Charles III, while French President Emmanuel Macron kept up his touch-feely bromance with the US president.

Trump’s ideological allies have often fared even better. El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele had a major Oval Office love-fest after agreeing to take migrants at a mega-prison in the Central American country.

But even some close allies have been wrongfooted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a warm welcome as the first foreign guest of Trump’s second term, but it was a different story when he returned in April.

Cameras in the Oval Office caught his stunned face when Trump announced that Washington was starting direct talks with Iran.

For Trump, though, it’s all part of a presidency that he increasingly treats like a reality show.

Trump himself quipped after the Zelensky meeting that it was “going to be great television”, and one of his advisers was just as explicit after the Ramaphosa meeting.

“This is literally being watched globally right now,” Jason Miller said on X, along with a picture of the encounter on multiple screens. “Ratings GOLD!”

Trump confronts South Africa's Ramaphosa over baseless claims of systemic killing of white farmers

Copyright Evan Vucci/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

By Malek Fouda
Published on 22/05/2025

Trump accused South Africa’s government, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa of not addressing what his administration believe is a genocide on white minorities in a tense meeting in the Oval Office.


US President Donald Trump used a White House meeting to forcefully confront South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, accusing the country of failing to address Trump's baseless claim of the systematic killing of white farmers.

In an astonishing display, Trump even dimmed the lights in the Oval Office to play a video of a far-left politician singing a song with the lyrics “kill the farmer.”

He also reviewed news articles to emphasise his argument, stating that the nation's white farmers have encountered “death, death, death, horrible death.”

Trump had previously terminated all US aid to South Africa and extended a welcome to numerous white South African farmers, granting them refugee status in the United States, while advocating the notion that a "genocide" is unfolding in the nation.

The 47th US president has initiated a series of allegations against the Black-led government of South Africa, asserting that it is confiscating land from white farmers, implementing policies that are discriminatory towards whites, and adopting a foreign policy that is antagonistic towards Washington.

“People are fleeing South Africa for their own safety,” Trump said. “Their land is being confiscated and in many cases they’re being killed.”

President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Washington

Evan Vucci/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

According to experts in South Africa, there is no evidence to suggest that whites are being specifically targeted due to their race; however, farmers of all ethnic backgrounds are victims of violent home invasions in a nation with a notoriously high crime rate.

Ramaphosa countered Trump's allegations, aiming to clarify the situation and restore South Africa's ties with the United States. The bilateral relationship currently stands at its lowest level since the end of apartheid in 1994.

“We are completely opposed to that,” Ramaphosa said of the behaviour alleged by Trump in their exchange. He added, “that is not government policy” and “our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.”

Trump quickly countered saying “When they take the land, they kill the white farmer.”

The US president appeared prepared to confront Ramaphosa in the Oval Office, a scene which has been of frequent occurrence since Trump and Vice President JD Vance shouted at visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a few months ago.

President Donald Trump greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in WashingtonJulia Demaree Nikhinson/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved.

Videos were cued on a large television screen to display a segment featuring Julius Malema, the leader of an opposition party, performing a classic anti-apartheid song.

The song has sparked controversy in the nation for many years due to its provocative lyrics, which include the phrases 'kill the Boer' and 'shoot the Boer,' with 'Boer' denoting a white farmer. Malema, who appears in the video, is not affiliated with the current governing coalition.

Another segment displayed white crosses along a roadside, identified as a tribute to white farmers who have lost their lives. Ramaphosa appeared perplexed, stating, “I’d like to know where that is, because this I’ve never seen.”

The references made by the Trump administration to the Afrikaner population, which descends from Dutch and other European settlers, have further amplified earlier assertions put forth by Trump's South African-born advisor Elon Musk and various conservative commentators in the United States.

President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in WashingtonEvan Vucci/Copyright 2025 The AP. All rights reserved

These claims suggest that the South African government is permitting assaults on white farmers, which they constitute as a form of genocide.

Ramaphosa entered the meeting aiming to steer clear of the contentious interactions that Zelenskyy faced during his February visit. That unfortunate meeting concluded with White House officials requesting Zelenskyy and his team to vacate the premises.

After the heated discussion captured by the media, Trump invited Ramaphosa for a luncheon and additional discussions. Ramaphosa, addressing reporters after his visit to the White House, downplayed Trump's criticisms, asserting that their private conversation did not focus on the US president’s concerns regarding white farmers.

“You wanted to see drama and something really big happening,” he said, “And I’m sorry that we disappointed you somewhat when it comes to that.”

Ex-Bush speechwriter torches new White House 'reality show': 'Goat behind curtain No. 3?'

Daniel Hampton
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY


Golfer Ernie Els speaks in the Oval Office during a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

A former speech writer for George W. Bush reamed President Donald Trump on Wednesday for "sandbagging" South Africa's president during what he called a test run of a "new reality show in the White House: "Surprise the World Leader."

David Frum, an Atlantic writer who has long identified as a conservative Republican but has become an outspoken critic of the modern Republican Party under Donald Trump, joined CNN anchor Erin Burnett on Wednesday on her show "OutFront" to discuss Trump's jaw-dropping meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

"So David, you know, you watched the South African president there—I mean, he was really direct and really clear and really firm. But he did it in a calm way," Burnett began. "And he didn’t mince his words. What went through your mind as you watched all that—Trump holding up a piece of paper and saying these people are the victims of genocide—the South African president just calmly saying 'no'?"

Frum likened Trump's bizarre meeting to a new reality TV show.

"Well, it looks like we were maybe promoting or testing a new reality show in the White House: "Surprise the World Leader" —where world leaders will come for prizes, or else they'll get a goat behind curtain number three if they’re on the president’s bad mood. So we’ve had bad surprises for [Ukraine President Volodymyr] Zelensky and Ramaphosa, but maybe there’s a nice surprise for you."

Frump said typically, meetings with world leaders are highly "choreographed" with any areas of disagreement generally "quite small."

"They are to be worked out at the highest level. And the meetings are there for a purpose. In this case, the president just sandbagged somebody," Frum railed.


The Atlantic writer acknowledged the United States has legitimate gripes with the country, as South Africa has led efforts to bring a false accusation against Israel.

"That’s a real issue," he conceded.

But not what Trump peddled.

"But on the farmers? Ramaphosa is in trouble at home from the person quoted in that video because he has been a friend to commercial farmers, many of them white," said Frum.

Trump confronted Ramaphosa with a video montage and images alleging widespread persecution and killings of white farmers in South Africa. Trump asserted that white farmers are "escaping South Africa" due to targeted violence and that they are victims of "genocide," a claim he has repeated.


Ramaphosa strongly refuted Trump’s claims, saying that while violent crime is a serious issue in the country, there is no evidence of a genocide against white farmers.

Watch the clip below or at this link.

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace thinks Trump just 'humiliated' Americans — again

Sarah K. Burris
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY


MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace (Photo: Screen capture via MSNBC video)

MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace began her Wednesday show discussing the Oval Office meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, where Wallace said President Donald Trump "humiliated" the United States "again."

As Wallace explained, Trump attacked Ramaphosa for what he said was a "white genocide" of "white farmers." It's a conspiracy theory spun by David Duke, former grand wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

In a meeting that included Musk, Trump alleged that white farmers were having their land taken away and then brutally murdered. He showed what he said was a video of "a thousand" crosses, he said, representing the death of these farmers. Ramaphosa asked Trump where the video was from, but Trump didn't know.

"We have many people that feel they’re being persecuted, and they’re coming to the United States," Trump said. "They’re white farmers, and they’re fleeing South Africa, and it’s a very sad thing to see. But I hope we can have an explanation of that, because I know you don’t want that."

"Feeling" as if "they're being persecuted" does not meet the U.S. legal definition of genocide, nor the international definition set by the United Nations.

"What you saw in the speeches that were being made—that is not government policy. We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves," Ramaphosa said about comments from extremists. "Our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying."

Wallace called it "an astonishing display from him in the White House today." She said that the U.S. leader appeared to want "to ambush and humiliate that leader inside the Oval Office. But what he did instead was embarrass and humiliate the people of the United States of America. Again."

Another shocking moment Wallace pointed to was when South Africa's president tried to lighten the mood.

"Trump suggested that all of this tension between them could have been avoided if South Africa had just bought him an airplane," she said, showing the clip.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a plane to give you," Ramaphosa said.

"I wish you did, okay. I would take it if your country offered the United States Air Force a plane. I would take it," Trump said.

"Well, there you have it," Wallace said. "Conspiracy theory peddling leader of the United States of America sitting inside a gilded Oval Office again, tarnishing America's image around the world is where we start today."

See the opener below or at the link here.

'Stop being rude!' Gobsmacked critics react to Trump treatment of South African president

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY

U.S. President Donald Trump meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Social media users are reacting to several major moments during President Donald Trump’s meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa -- most notably his accusations of 'white genocide' in the country.

“With the South African president sitting next to him, Trump suggests there is a white genocide happening in his country and says, 'I hope you can have an explanation of that,'" journalist Aaron Rupar said on X.

He was reacting to Trump playing a video in the Oval Office showing his South African guest what he said we attacks on white farmers.

The journalist later posted, “REPORTER: What will it take for you to be convinced there is no white genocide in South Africa? RAMAPHOSA: I can take that. It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans TRUMP *scowling*: We have thousands of stories talking about it. Turn the lights down and put this on.”

"’Turn the lights down,’ Trump says in Oval as a video on genocide is cued up with South Africa's Ramaphosa and Elon Musk watching. Trump says images show burial sites of white farmers. ‘I'd like to know where that is,’ Ramaphosa says. ‘This I've never seen.,’” CBS White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs said.

“BREAKING: President Trump directly confronts South Africa's President with printed news articles of white South Africans being attacked and murdered: ‘White South Africans are fleeing because of the violence and racist laws.’" Political analyst Eyal Yakoby said.

The White House also tweeted out the video which was shown during the meeting. “JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa,” they said.

While the meeting mainly focused on the alleged ‘white genocide’ of farmers there were other incidents which happened during the meeting.

“Why does no one stand up to him & tell him to stop being rude and telling lies?” Author and journalist Sheron Boyle asked.The Calvin Coolidge Project noted, “Just Now: Elon Musk is back in the Oval Office today during President Trump’s meeting with South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa.”

'Way to go!' MAGA world reacts with glee at Trump's Oval Office 'ambush' of guest

Krystina Alarcon Carroll
May 21, 2025 

RAW STORY

U.S. President Donald Trump shows alleged news reports as he meets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

MAGA world is praising President Donald Trump after his Oval Office showdown with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa Wednesday, saying he held his guest “accountable” for the alleged “white genocide” happening in the country.

“TRUMP HOLDS SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE!” Founder and President of the conservative Turning Point USA Charlie Kirk wrote on Truth Social. “President Trump says to ‘turn down the lights’ and then proceeds to show South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, videos of South African political leaders calling for the death of white South Afrikaners.

"Afterwards, he showed the president video of the crosses that symbolize each white farmer MURDERED in South Africa. God bless President Trump. He’s a president who is actually the LEADER of the Free World.”

The move was called an "ambush" and a "set-up" on CNN.

But senior Editor at Large of Breitbart, Joel Pollak said on X, “This is the most important thing to happen to South Africa since the end of apartheid. Trump Makes South African President Watch Video Evidence of Threats to White Farmers”

“The South African President brought White golfers with him to try to prove there’s no systemic persecution of Whites in South Africa. Golfer Retief Goosen then tells Trump that his dad's farmer friends have been killed and farms are constantly being burned,” Johnny Maga said.

“HOLY CRAP! President Trump just DIRECTLY confronted the President of South Africa with videos of his government calling for WHITE GENOCIDE ‘Turn the lights down and roll the video!’ ‘These are burial sites — crosses marking murdered White farmers’ The President of SA looks so shaken, AS HE SHOULD BE! WAY TO GO, PRESIDENT TRUMP!” Political commentator Nick Sortor said.

The White House also tweeted out the video which was shown during the meeting. “JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa,” they said on X.“Trump is an absolute boss. Condemning the murder of White South African farmers right in the face of the president of South Africa. Boss move,” The Civa Frei told their more than 700,000 followers.

Chinese bots posing as Americans swarmed X to undermine Trump’s tariff war: report

Matthew Chapman
May 21, 2025 
RAW STORY


FILE PHOTO: A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the X logo are seen in this illustration taken January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

A new report highlighted by Newsweek reveals that fake accounts, likely Chinese in origin, flooded tech billionaire Elon Musk's X platform around when President Donald Trump was rolling out his so-called "reciprocal tariff" regime, to influence public opinion.

Trump originally announced tariffs on virtually every country, ranging from 10 to 49 percent, and 145 percent on China. As markets and members of his own party reacted in fear of a recession, Trump gradually instituted various pauses and reductions, and most recently offered China significantly lower — but still historically high — tariff rates, while exempting some of America's most vital imports.

"Graphika, a New York-based company that leverages AI to analyze online communities, says it has identified a network of more than 1,000 X (formerly Twitter) accounts seeking to influence perceptions of the trade war in the social media space," noted the report. "'This included using fake personas purporting to be users in the U.S. and other countries, stealing content from authentic users, and the coordinated amplification of hashtags and media articles,' the firm said in a report released Tuesday."

These fake accounts posed as real people worried about tariffs negatively impacting the American people and often echoed content from other people, sometimes highlighting international blowback from the tariffs as well.

It was easy to identify the accounts, the report continued, by their names: "For instance, most featured combinations of Western first and last names, with both parts capitalized and joined, such as 'BriannaShaw.' The most commonly used default usernames are of a format assigned to new accounts, containing long sequences of random digits such as @GeorgeZip35528260. Some accounts listed self-reported locations with glaring errors, such as repeating the same U.S. state three times."

"Based on an analysis of content disseminated by the operation and similarities between the identified behaviors and past influence operations attributed to Chinese state actors, we assess that the network operator(s) were very likely aligned with the interests of China," Graphika concluded, while acknowledging it was impossible to be sure.

Trump's tariff regime is not just under fire by China, however, as even members of Trump's own party were worried about the impact to their states and districts, and scrambled to get carveouts for themselves.

'Peacemaker' org retakes HQ after DOGE takeover nullified: report

Matthew Chapman
May 21, 2025 
RAW STORY

FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at the launch of the U.S.-Afghan Consultative Mechanism with Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri, at the U.S. Institute of Peace, in Washington, U.S., July 28, 2022. Andrew Harnik/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

A congressionally-backed U.S. nonprofit institute has regained access to its headquarters after a federal judge declared "null and void" the seizure of the property by tech billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency task force, CBS News reported on Wednesday evening.

The new developments for the U.S. Institute of Peace "happened in the wake of U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell's ruling on Monday that the takeover of USIP was 'unlawful' and conducted by 'illegitimately-installed leaders,'" said the report. "Howell further ruled that the action was 'null and void.' The judge ruled after USIP's leaders sued the government."

USIP's employees were kicked out of the building, located in Washington, D.C., two months ago with the help of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police, initially kicking off the legal battle.

"We are now back in the building and we intend to resume our stewardship and custodianship," said USIP's acting president, George Moose, in a statement. "It is not just the platform from which we've been doing our work. It is a symbol of the aspirations and the intent of the American people to be seen and to be peacemaker in the world."

As DOGE has tried to access various agencies, it has faced an avalanche of litigation. Moreover, this is not the only case of DOGE trying to interfere with an entity outside of the executive branch; a showdown is heating up as they try to access the congressionally-overseen Government Accountability Office.

Musk himself, who was one of President Donald Trump's key benefactors in the 2024 election and served as the de facto leader of DOGE throughout the administration's early days, is stepping back from his White House advisory role to focus again on his tech companies.

He has also suggested he will cease making political contributions for now, saying, "I've done enough," which follows the disastrous failure of his organizing blitz on behalf of the GOP-endorsed conservative candidate in this year's Wisconsin Supreme Court election.

‘Kyiv should be ours’: Russians boosted after Putin-Trump call


By AFP
May 20, 2025


Russia's Ukraine offensive has lasted for more than three years

 - Copyright AFP LOUAI BESHARA

A day after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke by phone on Ukraine, showering each other with compliments, Russian home-maker Anastasia had one wish: for Moscow to finish what it started in 2022.

In the fourth spring of Moscow’s devastating offensive, which has killed tens of thousands, diplomatic movement in recent days has given Russians a boost in confidence that victory — in some shape or another — is approaching.

In the call with Trump on Monday, the Russian leader once again brushed off calls for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, as demanded by the West and Kyiv.

Despite that, the US president said the “tone” of the conversation was “excellent”.

Russia controls a fifth of Ukraine and holds an upper hand on the battlefield.

“I am rooting for our country, I love it very much and I just want Vladimir Vladimirovich (Putin) to just, after all, get justice done,” Anastasia told AFP in the Moscow suburbs, echoing official language calling for the defeat of Ukraine.

Not knowing how or when it would happen, the 40-year-old mother, who declined to give her surname, said she was getting impatient.

“I don’t want my children to have to solve this issue. Let’s decide it here and now.”

But she had no trust in Trump — who she said is “just a businessman” who “wants money and nothing else” — and worried the “Anglo-Saxons” will trick Russia.

Putin has shown no sign of scaling down his maximalist demands for ending the Ukraine conflict, seeking little short of capitulation from Kyiv.



– ‘Final offensive’ –



At talks in Istanbul last week, Russian negotiators demanded Ukraine abandon territory it still controls in the east and south.

Russia also wants Ukraine barred from NATO and for Western military support to end.

Putin has repeatedly called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to be removed from office.

Confidence was tinged with uncertainty in Moscow after the Putin-Trump call, in which the Russian leader floated a vague “memorandum” that would outline demands for a peace deal and Trump said Kyiv and Moscow would begin talks swiftly.

Many in Moscow did not know what Trump or Putin meant.

Asked what her main feeling was following the talks, pensioner Sofiya said: “Uncertainty.”

“It’s interesting what will happen to us, not only to our families, but our country,” said the 72-year-old, who declined to give her surname.

Like many, Sofiya saw no real progress from last week’s talks — the first direct negotiations on the conflict in more than three years.

“I don’t know how to express this, but I would like calm and peace,” she said.

Moscow has ramped up military censorship amid its Ukraine offensive, threatening years in prison for those who criticise or question the campaign.

Zelensky said Russia was not serious about talks and is trying to “buy time” to continue its offensive.

Putin was indeed hoping to advance more on the ground and will not “miss the opportunity” for a summer offensive, said Russian analyst Konstantin Kalachev.

He called the Trump call a “tactical victory” for the Russian leader.

“Russia is hoping to push them (Ukrainian forces) this summer,” Kalachev said.

“There will be no peace, while Russia has not yet used the option of a final offensive,” he said, highlighting the prospect of a summer ground campaign.



– ‘No other way’ –



Though Putin said both sides should be ready to make “compromises”, few were forthcoming from the Kremlin or on the streets of Moscow.

“I believe that Odesa, Kharkiv, Nikolayev (Mykolaiv), Kyiv should be ours,” said another pensioner, 70-year-old Marina, who also declined to give her surname, reeling off a string of Ukrainian cities that Russia has not formally claimed.

Russian state TV said Moscow’s negotiators threatened in Istanbul to seize more land if Ukraine does not pull its troops out of the Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions that Moscow claims to have annexed.

“If the four regions will not be recognised in the nearest future, the next time there will be six regions,” said state TV presenter Yevgeny Popov.

Moscow’s chief negotiator Vladimir Medinsky later evoked Russia’s 21-year war with Sweden in the 18th century, hinting Moscow was ready for a long fight.

Marina, too, said she would support Russia to fight on, even as thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed.

“Of course, it is a big shame that our people are also dying,” she told AFP. “But there is no other way.”

Chess great Carlsen held to draw by 143,000 players

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD

By AFP
May 20, 2025


Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, pictured during a 2024 match, took on a team of 143,000 opponents - Copyright AFP Marco Antonio Perez

Chess legend Magnus Carlsen, considered one of the best players in history, has been held to a draw by a team of 143,000 opponents in an online match.

Organised by the match site chess.com, the duel — dubbed “Magnus Carlsen vs. The World” — pitted the 34-year-old Norwegian against amateurs from around the planet who decided their moves by popular vote.

The match with Carlsen, who was world champion from 2013 to 2023, opened on April 4, with each side allowed 24 hours to decide its next move.

After more than six weeks, it ended in a draw Monday.

“I felt that I was a little bit better, early in the opening,” Carlsen said in a video.

“Honestly, since then, they haven’t given me a single chance.”

Carlsen is not the first grandmaster to take on a team of thousands.

Russian chess giant Garry Kasparov played more than 50,000 opponents in a 1999 match, while India’s Viswanathan Anand played around 70,000 last year, according to news agency NTB.

India’s lion population rises by a third


By AFP
May 21, 2025


Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than their African cousins, and have a fold of skin along their bellies - Copyright AFP SAM PANTHAKY

India’s Asiatic lion population has increased by over a third to 891, according to a five-yearly census released on Wednesday, boosting efforts to conserve the vulnerable species.

The Asiatic lion — which historically once roamed from the Middle East to India — is now reduced to an isolated population in a wildlife sanctuary in India’s western state of Gujarat.

“The Asiatic lion population, which was 304 in 1995, has increased steadily over the past three decades,” Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told reporters. “In 2020 it was 674, which has now increased to 891.”

The majestic big cats are slightly smaller than their African cousins, and have a fold of skin along their bellies.

Hunting and human encroachment caused the population to plunge to just 20 by 1913, and the lions are now found only in Gujarat’s sprawling Gir wildlife sanctuary, where they roam dry deciduous forests and open grasslands.

Following years of concerted government efforts, the lion population is steadily rising.

The latest counting exercise, spread over four days, covered over 35,000 square kilometres (13,513 square miles) across 11 districts in the state.

Priyavrat Gadhvi, a former member of the state wildlife board, said the increase indicated a successful conservation programme.

“Another important factor here is the political will and support of the local people living near the forest areas,” Gadhvi said. “They together have helped in conservation of the species.”

But while numbers are rising, the conservation organisation WWF warns that the Asiatic lion faces a “threat of genetic inbreeding arising from a single population in one place”.

Lions are a source of pride for India, particularly in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region, where man and beast coexist.

A cattle-rearing tribe lives among the animals in the sanctuary, and it is not uncommon to see a pride of lions crossing a highway in the region as motorists wait and watch.

Lions are also a major tourist attraction, along with leopards, panthers and other big cats found in the sanctuary.

Around 550,000 people visit the wildlife park each year, riding in open-top jeeps as they try to spot the predators prowling.

Since the Asiatic lion currently exists as a single subpopulation, it is vulnerable to extinction from events such as an epidemic or a large forest fire.

British climbers summit Everest in record bid


By AFP
May 21, 2025


The ascent of Mount Everest usually requires at least two months on the mountain doing a series of acclimatisation rotations - Copyright AFP/File PRAKASH MATHEMA

Paavan MATHEMA

A British team of veteran ex-special forces soldiers summited Everest on Wednesday, expedition organisers said, in a bid to fly from London, climb the highest peak and return home within seven days.

The four men, who include government minister Alistair Carns, left London on Friday, pre-acclimatised to the low oxygen at high altitudes — including the controversial assistance of xenon gas, a method that has raised eyebrows in the mountaineering community.

The men, who slept in special low-oxygen tents before departure from Britain, are raising funds for veterans’ charities.

“All four of them, along with a photographer and five Sherpa team reached the summit this morning at 7:10 am,” expedition organiser Lukas Furtenbach, of Austria-based Furtenbach Adventures, told AFP.

The team, who also include Garth Miller, Anthony Stazicker and Kevin Godlington, are now descending from the 8,849-metre (29,032-foot) peak.

“They will down descend to the base camp by evening and, weather permitting, will be back home within seven days,” Furtenbach said.

The team is raising money for veterans’ charities, especially focused on supporting children whose parents were killed in conflict.

“I’ve seen, on multiple operations in Afghanistan, individuals who haven’t returned,” Carns, 45, who carried out five tours of Afghanistan, said before his departure.

Carns, a colonel in the Royal Marine reserves, is the most highly decorated British lawmaker since World War II.

“I think, from my perspective, doing something to support those children left behind is the most honourable thing we can do,” Carns said.

For decades, the dream of reaching the summit of Mount Everest has required at least two months on the mountain doing a series of acclimatisation rotations.

But the team took a different route, heading directly to Everest’s base camp on Saturday, straight after arriving from London.

Areas above 8,000 metres are known as the “death zone” because thin air and low oxygen levels heighten the risk of altitude sickness.

They pre-acclimatised at home using hypoxic tents and special training techniques, before being administered xenon gas two weeks before departure.

Inhaling the gas prompts the production of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) in the body, which encourages the formation of oxygen-carrying red blood cells to improve performance.

“Xenon seems to provide protective mechanisms to prevent high altitude sickness, which is mainly triggered by a lack of oxygen. Xenon increases erythropoietin and thereby haemoglobin. The body is able to transport more oxygen,” said Michael Fries, a German doctor who works with Furtenbach.

“You can say that xenon inhalation mimics the effects of a classical rotation to high altitude.”

The men are not the fastest to climb Everest — that record is held by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who climbed from base camp to the the summit in 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003.

UK inflation hits 15-month high as utility bills soar


By AFP
May 21, 2025


UK regulators allowed private companies to hike household bills from April - Copyright AFP Frederic J. BROWN

Ben PERRY

Britain’s annual inflation rate surged more than expected in April as energy and water bills rose sharply, official data showed on Wednesday.

The Consumer Prices Index soared to 3.5 percent last month, up from 2.6 percent in March, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement. Analysts’ consensus forecast had been for a jump to 3.3 percent.

At 3.5 percent, the headline rate was the highest since the beginning of 2024, the ONS noted.

“I am disappointed with these figures because I know cost of living pressures are still weighing down on working people,” finance minister Rachel Reeves said in a statement.

UK regulators allowed private companies to hike household bills from April, taking into account movements in oil and gas markets and indebted water providers.

“Significant increases in household bills caused inflation to climb steeply,” ONS acting director general, Grant Fitzner, said in a statement.

“Gas and electricity bills rose… compared with sharp falls at the same time last year.”

He noted that “water and sewerage bills also rose strongly… as did vehicle excise duty, which all pushed the headline rate up to its highest level since the beginning of last year”.

Energy bills are expected to drop from July, however, following recent heavy falls to oil prices in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs blitz, according to analysts.

Businesses were additionally hit in April by a tax hike and rise to the minimum wage, which both took effect last month having been introduced by the Labour government following its July election victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

Tory spokesman on the economy, Mel Stride, blamed “Labour’s economic mismanagement” for the surge to inflation.

“Families are paying the price for the Labour… choices,” he added, as businesses pass on higher costs to consumers.



– Bank of England –



Analysts said the latest data could see the Bank of England ease the pace at which it has been cutting interest rates in recent months.

“The BoE’s next move is far from straightforward,” noted Richard Flax, chief investment officer at wealth manager Moneyfarm.

“The central bank is likely to remain cautious, potentially delaying rate cuts until there’s clearer evidence that inflationary momentum is genuinely easing.”

The BoE earlier this month cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 4.25 percent as the threat of US tariffs starts to weigh on economic growth.

It followed three reductions spread over the previous eight months.

High-flying young electricians wire UK energy switch


By AFP
May 20, 2025


In the UK, National Grid recruitment is at full power as its electricity network adapts for renewables - Copyright AFP Darren Staples

Olivier DEVOS

Perched 45 metres (148 feet) high, young apprentice electricians replace a connection atop a pylon. In the UK, National Grid recruitment is at full power as its electricity network adapts for renewables.

As new production sites multiply, particularly for wind and solar power, the privately-run company that owns the high-voltage pylons and cables in England and Wales said it is implementing “the largest overhaul of the electricity grid in generations”.

“It’s quite fun and exciting really,” Becky Hodgson, an overhead lines trainee, enthused at the prospect of “connecting” the UK’s future energy needs.

At the National Grid training centre in Eakring, a village in central England, 25-year-old Hodgson unwinds rope from a winch at the foot of a large pylon.

To the sound of an engine and pulleys, a suspended walkway rises towards her classmates.

Hailing from near Newcastle in northeast England, a region famous for its coal mining heritage, Hodgson is delighted to be part of the nation’s new energy chapter.

“It’s ticking all the boxes for me,” said the apprentice whose grandfather mined coal, which up until recently was used to fire British power stations.

“From a young age I’ve always been really into climbing, and adventurous pursuits,” Hodgson, sporting a fluorescent orange vest and blue hard hat, told AFP.

– ‘Massive challenge’ –

With the UK one of the most advanced countries in Europe in terms of renewable energy, National Grid plans to invest £35 billion ($47 billion) by 2031 to transform its electricity network.

The installation of new pylons, often favoured over underground or submarine cables owing to their lower cost, is causing friction among local residents across the country.

Faced with growing demand for electricity and the need to source energy where it is produced, “we need more wires”, insisted Zac Richardson, chief engineer at National Grid.

The company has seen the number of training days surge 75 percent over three years, driven largely by growth in staff.

“Will we be able to train enough? It’s a massive challenge,” said Richardson.

“There’s advanced investment going in, not just here, but with our key contractors as well, to ensure that the workforce is ready.”

National Grid estimates that 55,000 new hires will be needed in the coming years, across various trades, both within its own ranks and among its partners and subcontractors.

– Explosion –

A siren suddenly sounds in a substation, close to large machines bristling with lightning arresters.

Then an explosion — signalling a test of a pyrotechnic circuit breaker, a device that can quickly cut a high-voltage circuit.

“You have to cover your ears automatically… when you work in a substation,” laughed Lara Eken, a graduate substation engineer.

The 23-year-old said she has come to learn about the workings of “a really in-depth technical system”, whose number is multiplying with the expansion of the network.

Cables extending from the large pylon are lost in the distance — but they lead nowhere. For safety reasons, the training facilities are disconnected from the network.

A power line apprenticeship lasts three years.

“Everything crunches around the safety aspect first, so it’s baby steps,” training instructor Tom Norris, easily identifiable by his red helmet, told AFP.

“You get them just climbing the tower first” before tackling more complicated tasks like hoisting equipment, he added.

Norris said finding recruits is not a problem.

“We’re taking on more apprentices than we ever have. We’ve always got lots of interest on the recruitment day so we’re picking from lots and lots of good candidates.”