Don’t Let Trump Destroy the G-20 |
Ongoing reports and analysis
Over the past quarter century, the G-20 has arguably become the most significant forum for global governance in an increasingly fragmented world. What began as a gathering of finance ministers in response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis has grown into the key space where the world’s 20 largest economies attempt to address global challenges.
As the United Nations has receded in influence and its Security Council has remained gridlocked, the G-20 has assumed greater weight. Despite the group’s inherent flaws—an unrepresentative body whose decisions depend on consensus and are not binding—it has succeeded in bringing together major players from the global North and South alike.
Over the past quarter century, the G-20 has arguably become the most significant forum for global governance in an increasingly fragmented world. What began as a gathering of finance ministers in response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis has grown into the key space where the world’s 20 largest economies attempt to address global challenges.
As the United Nations has receded in influence and its Security Council has remained gridlocked, the G-20 has assumed greater weight. Despite the group’s inherent flaws—an unrepresentative body whose decisions depend on consensus and are not binding—it has succeeded in bringing together major players from the global North and South alike.
Now, the arrangement is unraveling. As the United States assumes the rotating G-20 presidency— hosting next year’s summit at a Miami golf resort owned by U.S. President Donald Trump—it is simultaneously working to expel South Africa and abandon the priorities that have guided the G-20 in recent years. Without pushback from other members, the United States risks cutting itself off from global governance, leaving a vacuum in multilateral leadership that will be filled by others.
This week, as senior officials from member states convened in Washington to prepare for the 2026 summit, South Africa was barred from joining. It is the first time in G-20 history that a host country has taken the unilateral step of excluding another member, and the snub marks the culmination of the United States’ nearly year-long diplomatic assault on South Africa. Trump refused to attend the November 2025 G-20 summit in Johannesburg and sent no delegation. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio escalated matters further, publishing a scathing Substack post that denounced the African National Congress-led government’s domestic and foreign policies. “President Trump and the United States will not be extending an invitation to the South African government to participate in the G-20........