Furious World Leaders Lock Out Trump from Closing Ceremony

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode: Furious World Leaders Lock Out Trump from Closing Ceremony (Nov 24, 2025)

Main Theme & Overview

This episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast centers on the dramatic exclusion of the United States from the G20 closing ceremony under Donald Trump's leadership. Hosts Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas use their signature blend of news analysis and banter to unpack how Trump's absence sparked global mockery, signaled America's diminished influence, and revealed new dynamics in international cooperation—especially among emerging powers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The G20 Summit: Trump’s Boycott and Global Response

• Background: The G20 closing ceremony, traditionally a time for the outgoing host nation to symbolically pass the leadership gavel to the incoming country, was upended when Trump and the U.S. delegation failed to attend. The U.S. justified its no-show by alleging a “white genocide” in South Africa—a claim summarily dismissed by other world leaders as baseless and inflammatory.
  (02:06 – 05:31)

• Outcome: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa refused to allow any lower-level American official to step in for Trump. Instead, he delivered the gavel address without a U.S. presence, symbolically locking the U.S. out and highlighting global frustration with Trump's approach.

• Visuals: World leaders openly celebrated the U.S.'s absence, perceived as a source of relief allowing more productive multilateral discussions.

  “You saw everybody basically celebrating and mocking Trump and sadly kind of mocking what Trump has turned the United States into.”
  — Ben Meiselas (04:40)

2. International Figures Criticize Trump and U.S. Policy

• Jeffrey Sachs’ Scathing Speech: Sachs, a renowned Columbia economics professor, mocked Trump’s “tantrum” and ridiculed America’s declining credibility, even suggesting CIA sabotage abroad.
  (06:45 – 09:19)

  “Why isn’t Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a four year old mentality and he’s having a tantrum… The rest of the world says we don’t want a king… He would come here as just one of 20 leaders… He is having a tantrum.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (07:00) “Today, a major refinery in Venezuela suddenly exploded. That seems a lot like the CIA to me… The United States can hardly go a week at a time without trying to kill somebody. But China actually goes centuries without attacking its neighbors.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (08:33)

• Sachs on Geopolitics: He described America's persistent interventionism and growing irrelevance in a multipolar world, highlighting shifting power dynamics to BRICS countries.

  “The BRICS… have 46% of the world population, and 41% of world GDP. They can look at the G7 and say, who are you? So this is the new phase of geopolitics.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (11:39)

3. South African Officials Defend Their Stance

• Explanation of Protocol: Multiple South African officials emphasized the importance of leadership-level participation and rejected the idea of a junior American diplomat replacing Trump at the ceremony.

  “We have indicated that when we're told… ‘We’re not going to participate, we’re not going to be there, nobody’s going to be there,’ we had to make alternative arrangements. The arrangements… is that we have a closing ceremony and we don't have a handover ceremony.”
  — South African government spokesperson (13:21) “We did not deny anyone access… The President of the Republic of South Africa will not be handing over [the gavel] to the charge d’affaires from the U.S.”
  — South African official (14:20)

4. G19: Less Drama, More Cooperation Without U.S.

• Cohesion and Progress: With the U.S. absent, the summit was reportedly more unified, focused on climate change, financial reform, and multilateralism.
  (15:33 – 16:20)
• Swift Consensus: Notably, for the first time, the G20 (now effectively G19) agreed on a declaration at the opening ceremony, expedited by the lack of U.S. disruptions.

  “The message was being sent to Trump and the Trump regime. We don’t need you here. Look how quick we could get things done without you.”
  — Ben Meiselas (18:33)

5. Key World Leaders’ Statements

• President Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa):

  “This G20 leaders summit has a responsibility not to allow the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened… The adoption of the declaration… sends a message of hope and solidarity across the world.”
  — Ramaphosa (19:08)

• President Lula da Silva (Brazil):
  Lula warned that protectionism, unilateralism, and threats to multilateral fora threaten both the G20 and global stability. He highlighted the ethical and economic crisis of developing world debt and called for climate action.

  “Almost half of the world population lives in countries that spend more on debt service than on health or education… The G20 plays a central role in both [climate and economic reforms].”
  — Lula (23:11)

• Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (Singapore):
  Emphasized reforming the WTO and modernizing the rules-based order to avoid “unraveling” globalization.

  “If every nation goes its own way, the global system will unravel even more quickly… So we do need to reform and update the global system to ensure it addresses the strategic realities of our time.”
  — PM Wong (26:31)

• Prime Minister Carney (Canada):
  Connected climate action to moral and commercial imperatives, calling for stronger global collaboration.

  “We view addressing climate change as a moral duty but also a commercial imperative… Our strategy on reducing emissions is a climate competitiveness strategy because it will make our businesses stronger.”
  — PM Carney (31:33)

6. The Broader Shift: BRICS and Global Power Realignment

• Other countries—particularly BRICS members—are asserting new leadership roles as the U.S. retreats under Trump.
• There’s a marked hunger among world leaders for reliable partners and rules-based cooperation, underscored by repeated attacks on unilateral and imperialist behavior.

7. Reflections on America’s Global Standing

• Comparisons with prior U.S. leadership: Clips of previous handovers and speeches (e.g., Biden at G20 2023) were played to contrast American engagement in the past with current isolation.
  (22:00)
• Call for Reliable Leadership: The hosts and world leaders alike express concern—sometimes with humor, sometimes with solemnity—about the damage done and the urgent need for American democratic renewal on the world stage.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You saw everybody basically celebrating and mocking Trump and sadly kind of mocking what Trump has turned the United States into.”
  — Ben Meiselas (04:40)

• “Why isn’t Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a four year old mentality and he’s having a tantrum.”
  — Jeffrey Sachs (07:00)

• “The very functioning of the G20 as a forum for dialogue and coordination is under threat. It is necessary to preserve… the capacity of this forum to address the major issues of today.”
  — President Lula da Silva (23:17)

• “So we do need to reform and update the global system to ensure it addresses the strategic realities of our time.”
  — PM Lawrence Wong (26:31)

• “We view addressing climate change as a moral duty but also a commercial imperative.”
  — PM Carney (31:33)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:06 – Ben covers Trump’s G20 absence, South Africa’s diplomatic stance, and the symbolism of the gavel snub.
• 06:45 – Jeffrey Sachs’ speech mocking Trump and critiquing U.S. foreign policy.
• 13:21-15:33 – South African officials formally explain the rules and reasoning for excluding the U.S. from the handover.
• 18:08-20:42 – Ramaphosa’s opening address and the G19’s quick consensus without U.S. involvement.
• 22:00 – Clips of prior U.S. involvement (Biden, Modi, Lula) for historical contrast.
• 23:11 – Lula’s G20 speech on multilateralism and global debt.
• 26:10 – Singapore PM Wong’s vision for reforming multilateral frameworks.
• 30:23 – Canada’s PM Carney on resilience, climate, and collaboration.

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Overall Tone and Final Thoughts

The episode balances sharp humor, exasperation, and a genuine concern for democratic values. The brothers dissect how the U.S.'s self-inflicted diplomatic isolation under Trump is both mocked and regretted worldwide, and they highlight unprecedented unity and progress among the remaining world leaders. Both the content and the speakers’ tone mourn a missed opportunity for American leadership, while also showcasing the adaptability and determination of the global community to move forward, with or without the United States.

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For listeners who missed this episode, it offers a front-row seat to international politics at a turning point—and a reminder of why America's role in the world matters, now more than ever.

Transcript

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[F]

This gavel of this G20 summit formally closes this summit and now moves on to the next president of the G20, which is the United States, where we shall see each other again next year. The summit is therefore closed.

[B]

So let's talk about also what was going on while this was happening in the absence of the United States. Basically all these countries and these speakers were just straight up roasting Donald Trump. They were roasting the United States and how Trump has weakened the United States on the international scene. So, for example, you had Columbia Economics Professor Jeffrey Sachs giving a speech at the University of South Africa, an event attended by a lot of these nations and their leaders. And watch him just mock Donald Trump, call out Donald Trump for the tantrum that he had here. Play this clip.

[G]

Why isn't Donald Trump coming tomorrow? Because he has a four year old mentality and he's having a. And, and he's having a tantrum. He's having a tantrum. What is the tantrum that the rest of the world says we don't want a king. As President Lula said, we don't need an emperor. He would come here as just one of 20 leaders or 21. He doesn't want that. He is having a tantrum. So this rebalancing is happening. He's having a particular tantrum, by the way, because the United States is in a deeply neurotic funk. You know what the cause of that neurosis is? China, a wonderful, brilliant civilization, 4,000 years old. Plus it's been a unified state with brilliant statecraft for more than 2,000 years.

[B]

Then in this speech, Sachs also accused Trump of sending the CIA to blow up an oil refinery in Venezuela that In the past 24 hours blew up. And Sack says, look, I can't prove it was the CIA, but seems likely what went down Here, play this clip.

[G]

Today, a major refinery in Venezuela suddenly exploded. That seems a lot like the CIA to me. I don't guarantee it. We don't have any more news. But last week President Trump said he had assigned the CIA to operations inside Venezuela. And a week later, suddenly the biggest refinery blows up. So the United States can hardly go a week at a time without trying to kill somebody. But China actually goes centuries without attacking its neighbors.

[B]

And then more from Jeffrey Sachs right here. Here. Let's play this clip.

[G]

I always emphasize geography in thinking about economics. So the geography is that at Pennsylvania Avenue, which is where the White House is now, there's a West Wing and no East Wing because he knocked it down a couple weeks ago, this idiot. Excuse me. Sorry. It's true. I'm just being technical. At 16th in Pennsylvania is the White House. 15th in Pennsylvania is the Treasury Building. 17th in Pennsylvania is what's called the Executive Office of the President of the US 18th in Pennsylvania is the World bank, and 19th in Pennsylvania is the International Monetary Fund. So it's only two blocks from the president's office to tell the IMF what to do. You don't even need to text it. It takes 30 seconds to walk across the street to say, veto that country's program. And that's still power. But it's power that is fading. It's fading in part because of the brics, because the brics are saying we don't need to be under the thumb of a US Empire. That's what President Lula said when he was hosting the BRICS this summer. And Trump put on a tariff on Brazil because he didn't like a court proceeding against the preceding president who had tried to make a coup, and so he put on a penalty tariff. And President Lula said, we don't need an emperor and we're not going to succumb to this kind of pressure. So the BRICs, of which you are an esteemed member, the S in BRICS. Remember the 10 BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now Egypt and Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates, Iran and Indonesia. The 10 BRICS countries have 46% of the world population. Thank you. And 41% of the world gdp. And they can look at the G7 and say, who are you? And that's what they're doing. So this is the new phase of geopolitics.

[B]

Now we're hearing from South Africa officials who are basically said, look, if at the end of the day Trump wanted to show up or if he sent somebody like Secretary of State Rubio, somebody at that level. Okay, we'll pass the gavel. They could participate in the closing ceremony, but they boycotted the G20. They refused to show. So, no, we're not going to allow them to participate in the ceremony. I want you to watch right here how it's day two of the G20 summit in Johannesburg and here it is the US being locked out of the closing ceremony. Play this clip.

[H]

And now it's the second and final day.

[B]

There has to be a handover that.

[H]

Must happen and from what we've heard.

[B]

From the presidency, it's not going to happen if there's a junior official in the room, I'm not aware if there's been any changes.

[E]

Are you able to update us what to expect? So every delegate coming here was registered. There was pre registration and registration closed. So those who are not in the room have not, have not registered because they chose not to register. But secondly, we have indicated that when we're told, remember we are a country, things get planned. When we are told that we're not going to participate, we're not going to be there, nobody's going to be there. We had to make alternative arrangements and the arrangements of today is that we have a closing ceremony and we don't have a handover ceremony. The handover ceremony as articulated by the Minister of International Relations will take place in line with what the United States have communicated. The Achae will receive the handover from South Africa and an equivalent level official at DECO will then hand over to them. You can't have a president handing over to an official. And they are not here. They didn't register to be here, they didn't get accredited to be here because they didn't come on time to be here.

[B]

And here's another clip right here of another government official saying look, if they want to come to the Dirko, the dirco like the International affairs office, you could show up, you could knock United States but you're not going to get some forum here in the gavel ceremony. You didn't show up. Too bad, so sad. See you later. You don't get to send anybody here play this clip.

[I]

We did not deny anyone access. The United States is a member of them, of the, of the G20 and if they want to be represented they can still send anyone at the right level is the leaders summit. The right level is head of state. It's a special envoy appointed by the President of that country. It could also be a minister and we've always been open. So we have not denied anyone. What we have said because it's an official level in terms of that issue is that Dirko accept the fact that the US is going to be taking over this platform of the G20 and we welcome that they want to take it over. They can come at our offices and the right level officials will hand over the G20 to the American officials. No, they are allowed to participate, so it's up to them. But the issue of handover the issue of handover the President of the Republic of South Africa will not be handing over to the charge d' affaires from the us we will be handing over to the US in the DERCO offices or anywhere they may want us to arrange within the borders of the Republic of South Africa.

[B]

Now, what's been interesting about this entire ceremony is how unified the rest of the world leaders were at the G20, which essentially became the G19 without Trump there. And all the world leaders were saying without Trump, without the United States, there was less drama. They were able to focus on important things like multilateralism, climate change, dealing with rethinking international finance structures which often keep lots of developing countries in significant debt. And they're focused more on debt servicing than actually development. And you heard Professor Sachs reference the proximity of the International Monetary Fund in the World bank to the White House right off of Pennsylvania Avenue there as well.

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[B]

And so let me show you also what went down here because this is pretty unique. So normally the G20 adopts its declaration of purpose at the end of the two day summit and then they read this declaration. But this time without Trump and without the US there, the G19, which is what it's become, they were able to do a declaration at the opening ceremony. So the opening ceremony, they all agreed. Here are the things we're focused on. Multilateralism, international cooperation, growth, figuring out resiliency. And then you'll see over here, Ramaphosa delivering the opening ceremony statement by issuing the declaration right from the outset. That never happens, but the message was being sent to Trump and the, and the Trump regime. We don't need you here. Look how quick we could get things done without you. Here, play this clip.

[F]

This G20 leaders summit has a responsibility not to allow the integrity and the credibility of the G20 to be weakened. In fact, from this summit, we should have a sense that the G20 has been strengthened. We thank all delegations that have worked together with us in good faith to produce a worthy G20 outcome document for this historic leaders meeting. The G20 underscores the value of relevance, of the relevance of multilateralism. It recognizes that the challenges that we face can only be resolved through cooperation, collaboration and partnership. The adoption of the declaration from the summit sends an important signal to the world that multilateralism can and does deliver. It sends a message of hope and solidarity across the world. It tells the world that as the leaders of the G20, we will keep fast to our solemn pledge to leave no person, no community and no country behind.

[B]

And by the way, you saw the world leaders. Here are photos of them together. The family photo of all the G20, or I should say the G19. Look at them, they're all smiles. I mean, you've got, here's photos of Carney and Modi and Albanese and you see these other world leaders right there. They're happy, they're cooperating, they're working together sans no United States being there. I want to highlight though as well what the, the gavel ceremony was supposed to look like just so you have a frame of reference. So when the gavel was handed over from Modi, the leader of India, Prime Minister of India, to Lula, the President of Brazil, here's what that gavel ceremony looked like back in 2023. Play this clip. And if you want to see what it looked like when we had a normal president who would give speeches at the G20, unlike Trump, who was so scared to show up, here is what former President Biden's speech at the G20 was when India, when Modi was leading the G20 back in 2023. Here, play this clip.

[C]

Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. One earth, one family, one future. That's the focus of this G20 summit. And in many ways, it's also the focus of this partnership that we're going to, that we're talking about today. Building sustainable, resilient infrastructure, making quality infrastructure investments and creating a better future, a future for greater that presents greater opportunity, dignity and prosperity for everyone. Last year we came together as one to commit to this vision. And this afternoon I want to highlight the key ways which the United States and our partners are working to make this a reality.

[B]

Now, let me share with you this. This is President Lula's speech attacking Trump. This was Lula's speech from this G20. Let me be clear and talking about how this attack on multilateralism, this attack on the G20, this attack on developing countries, this attack on addressing climate change is so deeply problematic. Here. Play this. CL.

[D]

We have embarked on a path that repeated the recipe of austerity as an end in itself, which deepened inequalities and expanded tensions of authority. Now protectionism and unilateralism re emerge as a response to facts and fallacies in the face of the complexity of the current reality and their effects exacerbate the problems we face. The very functioning of the G20 as a forum for dialogue and coordination is under threat. It is necessary to preserve the capacity of this forum to address the major issues of today. If we are not able to find the way within the G20, it will not be possible to do so in a world in conflict. The historic social and economic problems of Latin America and the Caribbean will not be solved through the threat of the use of force. Without attending to all developing countries, it will not be possible to restore global balance or ensure sustainable prosperity in the long term. There is a negative flow of capital from the countries of the south to the rich countries of the global North. The debt problem of the countries of the global south is ethically unacceptable and economically unsustainable. Almost half of the world population lives in countries that spend more on debt service than on health or education. We are now entering a new stage that will require a simultaneous effort on two fronts. Accelerating actions to address climate change and preparing for a new climate reality. The G20 plays a central role in both. The group is responsible for 77% of global emissions. And it is from the G20 that a new economic model must emerge. The group is a key actor in developing a roadmap to move the world away from fossil fuels. Climate change is not simply an environmental policy issue. It is above all a challenge of economic planning. Priorities are inverted. It is inconceivable that we are unable to mobilize $1.3 trillion in climate financing while twice that amount is consumed in military spending.

[B]

And again, one of the things that we are seeing, and Brazil obviously plays a big role in this because they are the B in brics. Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and Egypt and other countries have joined as, as well as 10 other countries have joined, pooling their economic power together. And we've seen an acceleration of that is as the United States has pulled away from its role as a leader in the world. As you heard Professor Sachs says, based on this neuroses and this kind of odd Trumpian like behavior, other nations are asserting themselves in different ways and people are looking for, I think most importantly now, reliability, reliable allies, reliable trading partners and people who don't use the multilateral trading system as a means of exploiting each other. So it's interesting, you know, to hear the Prime Minister of Singapore, very accomplished guy who also happens to be there, Finance Minister as well. Here's his speech right here, very powerful and you'll see he talks about this developing new world order. Play this clip.

[H]

For decades, the rules based multilateral system anchored by the WTO provided this stability. But the system is now under severe strain. One reason is that the system has been optimized for efficiency in a different era and it has not caught up with the realities of today's world. Realities like digital trade, as well as the fact that interdependencies are increasingly being seen as vulnerabilities and are open to being weaponized or used as leverage in moments of dispute. Understandably, countries are taking actions to protect themselves and to prioritize resilience and security. Yet if every nation goes its own way, the global system will unravel even more quickly. And when that happens, everyone will be worse off and the heaviest burden will fall on the developing nations. So we do need to reform and update the global system to ensure it addresses the strategic realities of our time. First, we must recommit to the core foundations which remain relevant today. And that means upholding international law and the norms and practices that guide state behaviour that is critical to continued peace and stability in the world. Second, we must reform the current system, be it the WTO or other global institutions. We cannot be paralyzed by old ways of doing things. We all have to get behind the urgent reforms that are needed in the WTO so that it becomes more effective and outcome oriented. We should complement the WTO with flexible multilateral approaches and that's why Singapore supports minilaterals and plurilaterals, which can serve as important pathfinders towards updating global rules. Third, we should build new partnerships. And as several colleagues have talked about just now, we are making progress with partnerships and dialogues between the CPTPP and ASEAN as well as the CPTPP and the eu. In fact, two days ago, ministers came together and had a very productive trade and investment dialogue covering issues like trade and investment facilitation, digital trade and supply chain resilience. In the same regard, we should look at ways in which we can bring the free trade areas and free trade blocs in Africa closer with Southeast Asia and asean. Recently, Singapore also joined with other countries like New Zealand, Switzerland and the UAE to launch a new framework called the Future of Investment and Trade Partnership that brings together small and medium sized economies to keep up the momentum of trade liberalisation. All of these efforts can form the foundations of a more resilient and secure multilateral trading system. To be clear, building a new global economic architecture will require significant effort and considerable political will. Multiple efforts are already underway as I described just now. The G20 can and should play a key leadership role in coordinating these efforts. And Singapore stands ready to do our part and work with all members towards this objective. Thank you, Chair.

[F]

Thank you. Thank you, Prime Minister Wong.

[B]

And always Prime Minister Carney delivers a great speech. That's a given. And here Prime Minister Carney leans in on the issue of resiliency, multilateralism, of addressing climate change as a moral and economic and ethical imperative. And it just as, as an American to see these world leaders who are so well spoken, who are professional, who behave this way. It's like, can we get back to that please? Can we get one of those here in the United States of America? Here's Prime Minister Carney here. Play this clip.

[C]

Thank you, Chair. I will try to follow the Australian example. Let me start this session is on resilience and I want to join others who pointed out in the first session the fragility of armed conflict, condemning the Russia's illegal, unjustified and barbaric invasion of Ukraine, the appalling conflict in Sudan, and our support for all efforts that can lead to just and lasting peace. Now let me speak to climate change. It's been over a decade that we've realized that past is not prologue with respect to climate change. In other words, the tail risks of yesterday become the central scenarios of today. Tipping points are now being realized. I want to give an example. Two years ago, the forest fires in Canada alone made Canada the fourth largest emitter of carbon in the world. We have the example of the Darwin cyclone last year or this year, forest fire damage, forests bigger than Sierra Leone to give orders of magnitude. So we need action on all levels. Mitigation, adaptation and resilience. International collaboration is crucial. I want to thank our host, South Africa, Mexico and others who sent firefighters to Canada to help fight the fires. Coordination through early warning systems. The Wildfire SAT satellite system that we're putting in place as part of the G7 global public good. The work of the G20 in disaster risk reduction, nature, nature based solutions. We're working towards our 30:30 commitment under the Montreal Kunming Protocol. I want to support the Tropical Forest Financing Facility of Brazil's COP as well as the broader effort and congratulate them on that in terms of our own mitigation. I'll just frame it as follows. We view addressing climate change as a moral duty but also a commercial imperative, as Prime Minister Albanese just intimated. So our strategy on reducing emissions is a climate competitiveness strategy because it will make our businesses stronger.

[B]

Well, I hope this gave you an interesting international perspective of what's going on because I think a lot of this doesn't get covered enough here in the United States and frankly elsewhere. So devoting this amount of attention to the G20 and the speeches I think is something very, very important to do. And you can go back and watch the video I made yesterday because I thought the prime, the leader of Finland gave an incredible speech as well. So go back and, and take a look there. Thanks for watching. Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million. We so appreciate you so much and subscribe right now. Hey Midas Mighty. It's Ben Bretton Jordy. And we just want to thank you for being the backbone of this movement. This year tested us more than ever, but together we proved that pro democracy voices don't just compete. We win.

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