Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa, has frequently accused its government of enacting “racist ownership laws” and failing to prevent what he has described as a “genocide” against white farmers. Last week, he directly challenged South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on X, asking, “Why do you have openly racist ownership laws?”

When they were hit this week by a Donald Trump social media grenade, panicked South African officials turned to an unconventional diplomatic back channel.

President Trump has ordered a freeze on all foreign aid to South Africa in an executive order he signed Friday, claiming that a new land reform law amounts to “government-sponsored race-based discrimination.