Turn the lights down,” President Donald Trump said. It was showtime in the Oval Office. Sitting next to him was South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was visiting in hopes of reaching new agreements on trade.

Donald Trump’s interest in South Africa reached a new level this month, as his administration made a dramatic exception to its opposition to refugees and welcomed a group of white South Africans. The president repeatedly insisted that their race was irrelevant,