State Department says South African ambassador's remarks were 'unacceptable'

Record ID: 1984030

  • Title: State Department says South African ambassador's remarks were 'unacceptable'
  • Date: 17th March 2025
  • Summary: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 17, 2025) (STATE TV) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON TAMMY BRUCE ARRIVING FOR BRIEFING (NOT A SOUNDBITE) REPORTER ASKING: "What I am getting at is - should other ambassadors be on alert? Can they not criticize President Trump without fear of being expelled?" (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON TAMMY BRUCE, SAYIN
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Ebrahim Rasool South Africa US ambassador diplomat obscene unacceptable
  • Location: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES / CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES / CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: US
  • Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,North America,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA002953817032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Remarks by South Africa's ambassador to the United States were "unacceptable," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Monday (March 17) after Washington last week made the decision to expel the envoy.
    Bruce said the ambassador's privileges expired on Monday and he would have to be out of the country by Friday.
    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week said Ebrahim Rasool was a "race-baiting politician" who hates President Donald Trump, reposting an article from right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy as saying that Trump was leading a white supremacist movement.
    (Production: Deborah Gembara)
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