Donald Trump has long been preoccupied with South Africa’s most fraught and emotional domestic policy issue: land. In his first term the US president directed his then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo — via Twitter — to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures” and the supposed “large-scale killing of farmers”.

Trump made several false statements and misrepresented some facts during a contentious Oval Office meeting on Wednesday with President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Mr Ramaphosa kept his cool. But the episode underlined Donald Trump’s warped views of South Africa—and how hard it will be to change them. The Trump administration has cut aid to Africa’s largest economy and seems set to cancel the preferential trade terms enjoyed by South Africa (and many other countries in the continent).