Expulsion of South African ambassador 'not about criticism', US says

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters on Monday that the decision to oust the South African ambassador Ebrahim Rasool was not because he criticised President Donald Trump's policies but because he cast the US in a negative light. 

"This was the equation of the president and the country with white supremacy. It was an allegation that casts such an awful light on the nature of the country," Bruce said in response to a question about whether other ambassadors are allowed to speak critically.

"If we don't have a standard about the nature of someone who is in this country, who is supposed to be a diplomat to help facilitate the relationship between two countries... we deserve better," she added. 

Rasool had previously been vocal in his support for South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and his support for the Palestinian people.