Former U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he may not attend the upcoming G20 summit scheduled for November in South Africa, indicating he would likely delegate attendance to another official.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One during his return from Scotland, where he claimed to have secured a major trade deal with the European Union, Trump cited disagreements with South Africa’s domestic policies.

“They have some very bad policies,” he said. “Very, very bad policies. Policies where people are being killed.”

Behind the rhetoric is a deeper political rift that’s been widening for months. Earlier this year, Trump cut off U.S. foreign aid to South Africa and announced a controversial refugee program giving priority to white South Africans—Afrikaners—claiming they were facing racial discrimination. That move drew international criticism, with rights groups calling it racially selective and inflammatory.

Then came a tense moment in May, when South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House. During their meeting, Trump played video clips he said showed violence against white farmers. Ramaphosa pushed back, noting the footage was from protests in the Democratic Republic of Congo, not South Africa, and insisted the portrayal was misleading. 

Last week, the Trump administration slapped a 30% tariff on South African goods, saying the trade relationship was imbalanced. The tariff affects everything from citrus to manufactured exports, and Pretoria fears tens of thousands of local jobs could be at risk.