Oval Office Showdown with South Africa's President, Trump Questions Biden's Autopen: AM Update 5/22

Summary

The Megyn Kelly Show: Detailed Summary of "Oval Office Showdown with South Africa's President, Trump Questions Biden's Autopen: AM Update 5/22"

Release Date: May 22, 2025

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1. Oval Office Showdown: Trump vs. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa

The episode opens with a tense confrontation in the Oval Office where former President Donald Trump challenges South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over allegations of genocide against white farmers in South Africa. Trump asserts that the South African government is perpetrating a targeted campaign against the Afrikaner minority.

• Trump's Accusation:
  "Generally, they're white farmers and they're fleeing South Africa. And it's, you know, it's a very sad thing to see." ([00:09])

• Megyn Kelly's Commentary:
  Megyn sets the stage for the confrontation, highlighting the gravity of Trump's claims regarding the alleged genocide.

• Ramaphosa's Defense:
  President Ramaphosa firmly denies the genocide claims, emphasizing South Africa's commitment to a multiparty democracy and equal treatment for all races.
  "If there was Afrikaner farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of Agriculture." ([03:44])

• Discussion of South African Laws:
  The conversation delves into South Africa's controversial land seizure laws and their impact on white farmers, who constitute approximately 7% of the population but own about three-quarters of the farmland.

• Agricultural Minister's Statement:
  "Farm attacks and stock theft affect all farmers in South Africa, particularly stock theft. It has a disproportionate effect on smaller black farmers." ([05:27])

• Conflict of Interest Concerns:
  The episode touches upon Bloomberg's report that South Africa is negotiating with Elon Musk to bypass racial ownership laws for Starlink's entry into the country, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest.
  "It's improper for there to be racist laws in South Africa... replacing one set of racist laws with another set is utterly wrong and improper." ([07:58])

• Implications for G20 Summit:
  Trump threatens to withdraw from the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg unless South Africa addresses these racial and legal concerns, potentially jeopardizing the first-ever G20 hosted on the African continent.

2. Concerns Over President Biden's Autopen and Decision-Making

Trump reignites debates about President Joe Biden's use of the autopen—a device that signs official documents on the president's behalf—raising questions about Biden's direct involvement in key decisions.

• Trump's Allegations:
  "I kept saying, who would do such a thing, allowing criminals to pour in from all over the world? No sane person would sign it... It autoped almost every." ([09:52])

• Megyn Kelly's Insights:
  The discussion highlights emerging reports suggesting that Biden may not be the sole decision-maker in his administration.
  "Some people also felt that this began, you know, as early as 2021, when the Biden administration went pretty far to the left of where Joe Biden had been for a lot of his career." ([09:29])

• Joe Biden's Cognitive Abilities:
  Trump claims that Biden's cognitive decline has compromised his presidency, labeling it as "treason at the highest level."
  "They stole the presidency of the United States and put us in great danger. This is treason at the highest level." ([10:17])

• Media and Public Perception:
  The episode underscores the growing distrust in media narratives, with Trump accusing the Biden administration of concealing the true extent of his cognitive issues.

3. Latest Updates from the Sean Diddy Combs Criminal Trial

The show provides an in-depth update on the ongoing Sean Diddy Combs trial, focusing on recent testimonies and evidence related to domestic abuse allegations.

• Agent Gerard Gannon's Testimony:
  Homeland Security Special Agent Gannon details the March 2024 search of Combs's Miami home, uncovering various illicit items.
  "Found cocaine, ketamine, and MDMA contained in a Gucci bag within Com's closet." ([08:50])

• Forensic Evidence:
  The prosecution presents photos of recovered items, including 25 bottles of baby oil, 31 bottles of personal lubricant, and an AR15 rifle (dismantled and not loaded).
  "The AR15 rifles found in Combs's closet were dismantled and not loaded." ([09:52])

• Psychologist Don Hughes' Testimony:
  Dr. Hughes, known for her work in high-profile cases, explains the psychological mechanisms behind why victims stay in abusive relationships.
  "It's not just about hitting. It's about a lot of abusive behaviors that make a victim feel trapped." ([10:17])

• Defense Strategy:
  The defense portrays Dr. Hughes as biased and unreliable, accusing her of being a "hired gun" against Combs. They also argue that Cassie Ventura, Combs's ex-girlfriend, was a willing participant in their tumultuous relationship.

• Prosecution's Efforts:
  Prosecutors aim to establish Cassie Ventura as a victim of sex trafficking to strengthen their case against Combs.

4. Passing of Congressman Gerry Connolly

The show mourns the death of Democrat Congressman Gerry Connolly from Virginia, a significant loss for the Democratic establishment.

• Connolly's Battle with Cancer:
  Congressman Connolly succumbed to esophageal cancer after battling the disease since November 2024. He had previously announced his decision not to seek reelection and to step down as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee.

• Political Implications:
  Connolly's passing leaves a vacant seat in Virginia's 11th district, traditionally a safe Democratic seat, potentially altering the balance of power with Republicans holding a 220 to 212 advantage. Governor Glenn Youngkin has yet to announce a date for the special election.

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Conclusion

This episode of The Megyn Kelly Show delves into significant political tensions between the U.S. and South Africa, raises critical questions about presidential decision-making and cognitive health, provides updates on a high-profile criminal trial, and addresses the impact of Congressman Connolly's passing on the political landscape. Through engaging discussions and notable quotes, Megyn Kelly offers listeners a comprehensive overview of pressing national and international issues as of May 22, 2025.

Transcript

[Megyn Kelly]

Good morning, everyone. I'm Megyn Kelly. It's Thursday, May 22, 2025, and this is your AM update.

[Donald Trump]

Generally, they're white farmers and they're fleeing South Africa. And it's, you know, it's a very.

[Megyn Kelly]

Sad thing to see a dramatic confrontation in the Oval Office as President Trump confronts the president of South Africa over what he says is a genocide of white farmers.

[Donald Trump]

You know, signed it, radical left lunatics that were running our country and the autopen signed it.

[Megyn Kelly]

President Trump reignites concern over who was making key decisions during the Biden presidency as new reporting says Mr. Biden was not calling the shots in his own White House. And the Sean Diddy Combs trial carries on with new testimony, including an expert witness on domestic abuse. All that and more coming up in just a moment on your AM Update. Trust in the media is at an all time low. And let's be honest, it's no mystery why. We have all seen how stories are twisted, buried or outright ignored, depending on who's in charge or what narrative they want you to believe. But now there's Ground News, an app and website that gathers related articles from around the world in one place, highlighting each source's political bias and corporate influence. Ground News created their blind spot feed to expose important stories receiving lopsided coverage and reveal how media narratives shape the conversation. And now you get 40% off the same unlimited access to their website and apply through the Vantage Plan, which you can use to find the truth. Ground News is independent and supported by subscribers, not corporate interests. Check them [e-mail] Megan that's G R O U N dnews.com Megan to take back control of the news you consume. A wild confrontation in the Oval Office. President Trump welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa a week after the US admitted 59 white refugees from South Africa who say they face discrimination in their home country. President Ramaphosa in January signing a law allowing land seizures without compensation where it is just and equitable and in the public interest. White people are about 7% of the population in South Africa but hold about 3/4 of the farmland. In recent years, many accounts of grisly attacks on the South African farms and including dozens of murders. The South African government does not release statistics on race and crime, but a South African farmers union reports that of all murders between 1990 and 2017, 87% were of whites. President Trump has accused the South African government of allowing a genocide against Afrikaners, a white minority group largely composed of farmers. Mr. Trump Getting right to it on Wednesday.

[Donald Trump]

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. So we take from many, many locations if we feel there's persecution or genocide going on. And we had a lot of people. 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, 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.

[Megyn Kelly]

President Ramaphosa emphatically denies accusations of a genocide in his country. One reporter questioning President Trump. What does it take from you for you to be convinced that there's no white genocide in South Africa?

[Cyril Ramaphosa]

Well, I can answer that for President. It will take President Trump listening to the voices of South Africans, some of whom are his good friends, like those who are here. 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 Africana farmer genocide, I can bet you these three gentlemen would not be here, including my minister of Agriculture.

[Donald Trump]

We have thousands of stories talking about it. I could show you a couple of things. It has to be responded to. Turn the lights down and just put this on. It's right behind you.

[Cyril Ramaphosa]

A revolution demands that at some point there must be killing because the killing is part of a revolutionary act. The poor, the farmer.

[Megyn Kelly]

Following the four and a half minute video, President Trump flipping through a stack of news articles detailing what he says are vicious crimes perpetrated against white South African farmers. Mr. Trump pointing out that the people in the video calling to shoot and kill white farmers are political leaders chanting to packed stadiums holding 100,000 supporters. President Ramaphosa and the South African agricultural minister pushing back what you saw, the.

[Cyril Ramaphosa]

Speeches that were being made. One that is not government policy. We have a multiparty democracy in South Africa that allows people to express themselves. Our government policy is completely, completely against what he was saying.

[South African Agricultural Minister]

As the Minister of agriculture, it is something that I am particularly exercised with my colleagues at police and my colleagues in the justice cluster to stop making farm attacks and stock theft a priority crime. And it affects all farmers in South Africa, particularly stock theft. It has a disproportionate effect on smaller black farmers. I also want to just say this, that the two individuals that are in that video that you've seen are both leaders of opposition minority parties in South Africa. Now, the reason that my party, the Democratic alliance, which has been an opposition party for over 30 years, chose to join hands with Mr. Ramaphosa's party was precise to keep those people out of power.

[Donald Trump]

So you denounced that type of language.

[South African Government Official]

In the video that you saw?

[Cyril Ramaphosa]

Oh, yes, we've always done so as government. As my own party, we are completely opposed to that.

[Megyn Kelly]

The agricultural minister confirming attacks on farmers, but saying they affect black farmers, as well as telling Mr. Trump South Africa is seeking new trade and security partnerships to help protect all farmers, specifically highlighting the need for expanded access to Starlink, the satellite Internet company founded by Elon Musk. Mr. Musk, born in South Africa, though now a U.S. citizen, is a vocal critic of the country's black economic empowerment laws, which in some cases require companies to be at least 30% black owned in order to operate. Bloomberg reporting South African officials held a meeting with Mr. Musk prior to their Oval Office visit, reportedly preparing to offer him a workaround to those racial ownership requirements in order to bring Starlink into the country. Mr. Musk asked about the potential deal on Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum criticizing the law. Bloomberg broke news today that the South African government is working around the rules on black ownership in order to allow Starlink in. And that is being done on, on the eve of the visit that President Ramaphosa is going to make to the White House. Do you recognize that as a conflict of interest?

[South African Government Official]

No, of course not. First of all, you should be questioning why is there, why are there racist laws in South Africa? That's the first problem. That's what you should be attacking. It's improper for there to be racist laws in South Africa. The whole idea with what Nelson Mandela, who was a great man, proposed, was that all races should be on equal footing in South Africa. That's the right thing to do, not to replace one set of racist laws with another set of racist laws, which is utterly wrong and improper.

[Megyn Kelly]

The White House meeting with South African leaders comes at a critical moment. President Trump now threatening to pull out of the G20 summit set for Johannesburg this November unless South Africa addresses US Concerns over race based laws and violence against its citizens. The move would mark a dramatic diplomatic snub, putting the first ever G20 hosted on the African continent at risk of losing its most powerful member Democrats and legacy media. Reckoning with the fallout from the Biden book Original Sin, which paints a damning portrait of the effort to conceal the true extent of President Biden's cognitive decline in office. Co authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's reporting depicting President Biden as merely a senior member of a board rather than a commander in chief. Alex Thompson telling the Megyn Kelly show on Tuesday, even Biden Cabinet secretaries questioned who was making the decisions.

[Alex Thompson]

What happened is they closed ranks. They had the Cabinet members come in and brief senior staff, and then they, and then the senior staff would brief the president. And one member of the Cabinet. Put it to us this way, yes, the president is officially making the decision, you know, putting the sign dotted line. But if the, if the decision is framed in a certain way, is it really a decision? And are really they the ones making the decision? You know, some people also felt that this began, you know, as early as 2021, when, you know, the Biden administration, you know, went pretty far to the left of where Joe Biden had been for a lot of his career.

[Megyn Kelly]

With these revelations, President Trump reigniting concerns about President Biden's use of the auto pen, a device that signs the president's signature to official documents without his physical presence. While the practice is legal and not new, President Trump and other critics argue its frequent use under Mr. Biden raises questions about how often and how directly the president engaged in key decisions.

[Donald Trump]

Look, it's a very sad thing what happened, but I really wanted to start looking into this whole thing with who signed this legislation, who signed legislation opening our border. I don't think he knew. I said, there's nobody that can want an open border. Nobody. And now I find out that it wasn't him. He auto penned it. Who was operating the auto pen. This is a very serious thing. We had a president that didn't sign anything. He autoped almost every.

[Megyn Kelly]

He.

[Donald Trump]

He opened the borders of the United States of America. And I kept saying, who would do such a thing, allowing criminals to pour in from all over the world? No sane person would sign it. You know who signed it? Radical left lunatics that were running our country. And the auto pen signed it.

[Megyn Kelly]

When Joe Biden entered the 2020 race, many in the Democratic establishment pitching him as a stabilizing force, a moderate elder statesman who could steady the ship. After the turbulent Trump years, the Biden presidency deviating sharply from that image, most notably at the southern border. President Trump following up his remarks on Tuesday with a post on Truth Social reading. In part, quote, it was the people that knew he was cognitively impaired and that took over the auto pen. They stole the presidency of the United States and put us in great danger. This is treason at the highest level. They did it to destroy our country. Something very severe should happen to these treasonous thugs that wanted to destroy our country but couldn't because I came along. Coming up, the latest details from the Sean Diddy Combs criminal trial, including more information on the items recovered from the home search. And Democrat Congressman Gerry Connolly passes away following a battle with cancer. As President Trump is settling into his new administration. One of the top Democrats in Congress aiming to undermine the Trump agenda is Democrat Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. And according to our sponsor, the Electronic Payments Coalition, Senator Durbin has a new plan, a government takeover of your credit card. Today, Americans have thousands of choices in credit cards, but they say Senator Durbin's plan will result in less competition and less security, which means more risk for your credit and your identity. You can learn more for [e-mail] and you could consider telling your senators to stop Dick Durbin's government takeover of your credit card before it's too late. The Sean Diddy Combs trial continuing Wednesday in a New York federal courtroom. Homeland Security Special Agent Gerard Gannon kicking off the day with more details of the March 2024 search of Mr. Combs's Miami home. Agent Gannon testifying to finding cocaine, ketamine and MDMA contained in a Gucci bag within Com's closet. The jury shown more photos of the items found, including boxes containing 25 bottles of baby oil, 31 bottles of personal lubricant. Gannon also telling the jury a handgun was recovered in a guard shack on the property. On cross examination, Gannon telling the defense the AR15 rifles found in Combs's closet were dismantled and not loaded. Forensic psychologist Don Hughes then taking the stand. Ms. Hughes previously testified in other high profile cases including the Amber Heard Johnny Depp trial and and the R. Kelly case. Hughes testifying that she had not personally assessed anyone involved in this case. The psychologist called to explain why some victims stay in abusive relationships, saying abusers use other methods of control beyond just the physical. Quote, it's not just about hitting. It's about a lot of abusive behaviors that make a victim feel trapped. Combs ex girlfriend Cassie Ventura last week telling the court Combs would often call dozens of times in a row in periods where they broke up. Also sending security guards to contact Ventura if she did not respond. The expert witness telling prosecutors, quote, there's almost always also love between an abuser and the abused and that it is common for victims to wait months or years before talking about the abuse. The defense portraying Ms. Hughes as a hired gun who will say anything for money so long as it's against a man accused of a sex crime. Prosecutors working to portray star witness Cassie Ventura as a victim of combs as they try to prove she was sex trafficked, a central pillar of the case against him. The defense arguing while the relationship was volatile, Ms. Ventura was a willing participant in the so called freak offs. Democrat Congressman from Virginia Gerry Connolly died On Wednesday, age 75, the longtime lawmaker revealing in April that his esophageal cancer, first diagnosed in November 2024, had returned despite initial success combating the disease. Mr. Connolly then announcing he would not seek reelection and was planning to step down as ranking member of the House Oversight Committee. Despite his diagnosis. Establishment Democrats last December backing Mr. Connolly in a high profile internal race for the top oversight seat to defeat challenger AOC. Mr. Connolly's death leaving open a safe blue seat in Virginia's 11th district. While the district will likely stay in Democrat hands, the vacancy leaving Republicans with a 220 to 212 advantage. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has not yet announced a date for the special election and that'll do it for your AM Update. I'm Megyn Kelly. Join me back here for the Megyn Kelly show live on Sirius XM Triumph channel 111 at noon east on YouTube.com Megyn Kelly and on all podcast platforms.

[Alex Thompson]

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[Megyn Kelly]

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[Alex Thompson]

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