Trump names conservative media critic as US ambassador to South Africa

US President Donald Trump has nominated Leo Brent Bozell III as ambassador to South Africa. Bozell is a conservative media critic and pro-Israel commentator. This nomination comes amid worsening diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The nomination follows the expulsion of South Africa's ambassador, Ebrahim Rasool. The US expelled Rasool for comments critical of Trump.

The Trump administration condemned South Africa's legal action against Israel at the International Court of Justice. They accused the South African government of discriminating against white South Africans to seize their land.

Bozell's nomination must be confirmed by the US Senate. He is 69 years old and was previously nominated to lead the US Agency for Global Media, but that bid was withdrawn.

Earlier in his career, Bozell founded the Media Research Center. This organization aims to identify liberal bias in media. He also founded the Parents Television Council and other conservative groups.

Bozell's son participated in the January 6 Capitol riot in 2021. He was convicted last year and sentenced to nearly four years in prison.

US-South Africa relations have sharply deteriorated under Trump's administration. In March, the US expelled South Africa's ambassador, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling him a "race-baiting politician."

Rubio announced Rasool's expulsion on X, linking to an article from Breitbart. The article cited Rasool’s comments about Trump projecting "white victimhood."

It is unusual for senior diplomats to be expelled from the US. Typically, only lower-ranking officials face such actions.

In February, Trump signed an executive order freezing US aid to South Africa. He cited "unjust racial discrimination" against white Afrikaners as a reason for this decision.

This order refers to a new law called the Expropriation Act. It allows the government to take private land without compensation.

White South Africans make up 7.2% of the population but own 72% of farmland, according to a 2018 audit.

South Africa’s government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), criticized Trump's actions. They described them as based on "misinformation and propaganda" aimed at misrepresenting their nation.