Analysis: Has Trump turned Oval Office into "ambush" zone for world leaders?

Once regarded as the world’s most carefully staged diplomatic theater, but these days, the Oval Office is starting to look more like a set for reality TV: one where the script flips fast, the host is unpredictable, and the guests do not realize they are walking into an ambush until it is too late.  And at the center of the trap? Donald Trump.

Twice now, world leaders — allies, no less — have stepped into the room expecting smiles, solidarity, and diplomacy. Instead, they were humiliated on camera. First, it was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Then, most recently, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. 

- Zelenskyy’s Oval Office interrogation -

When Zelenskyy visited Washington back in February in hopes of shoring up American support, he encountered a blistering public dressing-down from Trump and Vice President JD Vance, in front of cameras and reporters.

In a moment that stunned both observers and diplomats, Trump and Vance berated Zelenskyy for what they called a lack of gratitude for US aid and pressured him to accept a peace deal — on American terms.

Read more: VIDEO: Trump, Vance clash with Zelensky in heated White House meeting

“You should be thanking the president,” Vance snapped, accusing the Ukrainian leader of using his visit as a “propaganda” stunt. Zelenskyy tried to explain the stakes of the ongoing war with Russia, only to be aggressively cut off.

“Don’t tell us what we’re going to feel,” Trump barked. “You’re not in a good position, you don’t have the cards right now… You’re gambling with World War III.”

And then came the ultimatum, “You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out. And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out — and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”

And this was not the first time.

- Ramaphosa’s turn in the hot seat -

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa faced a similarly orchestrated trap on Wednesday. What began as a seemingly cordial visit — with Trump joking about South African golfers — turned dark when the lights in the Oval Office dimmed, and a surprise video montage began to play. The footage, handpicked by Trump’s team, purported to show what Trump described as a “genocide” against white South African farmers.

Gravesites, inflammatory speeches, and controversial figures were paraded on screen as Ramaphosa sat silently, stunned. At one point, Trump said, “It’s a terrible sight... I’ve never seen anything like it. These people are all killed.”

Read more: VIDEO: “I’m sorry I don’t have a plane to give you," South Africa President to Trump

Ramaphosa, composed but clearly caught off guard, responded, “I’d like to know where that is because this I’ve never seen.”

Trump then proceeded to flip through printed-out news articles allegedly showing killings of white farmers, saying “death, death,” while accusing the South African government of land confiscation and persecution. It was less a meeting and more a performance, with Ramaphosa as the captive audience.

The White House even posted the footage on social media, calling it “proof of persecution in South Africa” — despite the South African government’s repeated denials and clarification that there is no such genocide. Ramaphosa later told reporters, “There is just no genocide in South Africa,” and explained that the inflammatory clips shown were from a fringe party with no power in government.

 JUST SHOWN IN THE OVAL OFFICE: Proof of Persecution in South Africa. pic.twitter.com/rER1l8sqAU

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 21, 2025

It is increasingly clear that the Oval Office has now mutated into the center stage for dominance, not diplomacy.

If this is a preview of how Trump intends to wield power during his second term, then the message to world leaders is clear: proceed with caution.