Leo Brent Bozell III. (Photo by Gage Skidmore)

By Gary Raynaldo   – DIPLOMATIC   TIMES

President Trump named Leo Brent Bozell III, a right-wing media critic, to be the next United States ambassador to South Africa amid rising tensions between to the two countries.  Bozell is the founder of the Media Research Center, an organization whose stated purpose is to identify alleged liberal media bias. He is a nephew of the late conservative writer and National Review founder William F. Buckley Jr. The nomination will have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Trump, in a post on Truth Social, praised Bozell’s “fearless tenacity”.

“I am pleased to announce that Brent Bozell will be our next United States Ambassador to South Africa. Brent is the Founder of the Media Research Center, which has exposed Fake News hypocrites for many years. Brent brings fearless tenacity, extraordinary experience, and vast knowledge to a Nation that desperately needs it.”  

US – South Africa Relations Deteriorating Sharply 

Relations between the United States and South Africa and have eroded since Trump became president. Last month, Trump cut off foreign aid to South Africa. Trump accused South Africa of  engaging in “unjust and immoral practices” against the white minority Afrikaner community. Trump ignited a political firestorm by offering to resettle white South Africans in the US, saying they are “victims of unjust racial discrimination”.  On top of all this, the administration this month expelled South Africa’s US ambassador, accusing him of being a “race baiting” Trump hater.   Some political observers view Bozell’s quick nomination as a sign the US is looking to mend fences with South Africa.  The last time Trump took office in January 2017 he did not nominate an ambassador to South Africa until November 2018 with the official confirmation coming a year later.