Nigeria, May 23 -- The Oval Office is more than architecture and history it is theater, a global stage where power postures and diplomacy unfold. But on a spring day in Washington,D.C. the script went off-book. What transpired between President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and U.S. President Donald Trump was part circus, part tragedy, and all-too-revealing of the fragile state of modern diplomacy.

Ramaphosa arrived with intent,to discuss trade, renew diplomatic ties, and solidify U.S.-Africa relations. Instead, he found himself ambushed.

The opening minutes were routine. A handshake, flashes of camera bulbs, the practiced cadence of welcome remarks. But then came the unexpected. The lights in the room dimmed. Aides looked around, puz...