Keely Goodall31 March 2025 | 11:42

US cuts military ties with South Africa: ‘Donald Trump needs conflict’ - Peter Bruce, veteran journalist

The United States has cut military ties with South Africa. Bongani Bingwa interviews veteran business journalist Peter Bruce.

US cuts military ties with South Africa: ‘Donald Trump needs conflict’ - Peter Bruce, veteran journalist

Donald Trump / Wikimedia Commons: Gage Skidmore

702s Bongani Bingwa speaks with Peter Bruce, a veteran business journalist and political commentator.

Listen below:

The impact of Donald Trump’s presidency is spreading fast across the world, and South Africa is one of the prime targets.

The latest development in our strained diplomatic relationship is the US cutting military ties with South Africa.

Trump’s administration is not just attacking us, he is implementing trade tariffs that affect most countries.

Bruce says the only way to work with Trump is to make him feel like he has had a win as he thrives on conflict and resolutions.

“For 14 years, he was the head of a reality TV show based on conflict. If there is no conflict, why bother watching? This is what he brings with him to the White House.” 
- Peter Bruce
“We need to understand that we are going to be a part of some conflict with him, and we already are, and we need to make sure that the resolution is smart enough to satisfy him and not do us any damage.”
- Peter Bruce

While Trump’s presidency has affected our relationship significantly, Bruce says US-SA relations have been steadily declining for years.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview for more.