President Donald Trump faced criticism on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, after mistakenly confusing South America with South Africa during a speech at the America Business Forum in Miami, Florida. The error occurred as Trump addressed the city’s significant Cuban immigrant community, many of whom came to the U.S. seeking refuge from communist regimes.
During his speech, Trump stated that “for generations Miami has been a haven for those fleeing communist tyranny in South Africa.” This raised eyebrows, as South Africa, located on the African continent, has never been under communist rule, unlike South American countries such as Cuba and Venezuela, known for their socialist and communist governments.
Trump then shifted focus to the African nation of South Africa, criticizing it over his claims of genocide against white farmers. He announced a boycott of the G20 meeting set for Johannesburg in November 2025, before returning to his critiques of South American governments.
The speech followed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani’s unexpected win in the New York City mayoral election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, beating Trump-endorsed former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Trump had warned of cutting federal funds to New York City if Mamdani emerged victorious.
Trump used the Miami platform to criticize the New York election outcome, alleging that Miami would soon become a sanctuary for those escaping “communism in New York.” He labeled Mamdani a “communist” and claimed the country had “lost a little bit of sovereignty” as a result of the election.
The president warned about the implications of Mamdani’s victory, suggesting that Congressional Democrats’ plans for the nation could be seen in the New York election results. He asserted that the party had appointed a communist to lead the country’s largest city. He reminded attendees of his prediction that no socialist would hold public office in America, but said that rather than electing socialists, communists had been put into power.
Trump further claimed that “the communist, Marxist socialists and globalists” had only brought “disaster” during their tenure. However, he later expressed support for the new mayor, stating, “Now let’s see how a communist does in New York. We’re going to see how that works out. And we’ll help them. We’ll help them.”
The president commemorated the one-year anniversary of his November 2024 election win over Democrat Kamala Harris, asserting that his administration had revived the economy and saved the country “on that magnificent night 365 days ago.” He then performed dance moves on stage in front of the audience.
In response to Trump’s threats of withholding federal funds, Mamdani addressed him directly in his victory speech on Tuesday night, stating: “So Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!” The mayor-elect, an immigrant himself, emphasized that “New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants and as of tonight, led by an immigrant.”
Trump had earlier posted on his Truth Social platform after Mamdani’s win, simply stating, “And so it begins.” He later cited pollsters who claimed Republicans lost due to the government shutdown and his absence from the ballot.
The Miami speech took place amid ongoing debate over Trump’s tariff policies and the extended government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. The geographic confusion added to a challenging week for the administration, which faced several federal court rulings against its policies, including decisions blocking specific tariff implementations and mandating the release of SNAP benefits to millions of Americans.
The South Africa-South America confusion quickly circulated on social media, with critics highlighting the president’s apparent lack of geographic knowledge. The incident raised concerns about Trump’s understanding of international affairs as he considers skipping the G20 summit and navigating complex trade negotiations with various countries.
