The meeting between the United States President Donald Trump and five African leaders, meant to take on diplomatic issues and strengthen U.S.-Africa ties, also had clumsy jibes on its menu, following Trump’s comment on Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s English language proficiency.
This comes as Trump’s comments on Liberian President’s English have sparked outrage across Africa and reignited debates about cultural sensitivity.
While hosting leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, Trump praised Boakai’s “beautiful English,” asking, “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”—seemingly unaware that English is Liberia’s official language.
Many have also raised serious questions about Trump’s understanding of Africa. While Trump is currently serving his second term as the President of the U.S., he failed to visit Africa during his first tenure and has yet to visit the continent five months into his second tenure.
This development has led many to question whether Trump’s comments on Liberian President are condescending or ignorant.
Many also suggest that the development shows a disconnect between the U.S. leadership and the Liberian leadership.
The comments have been interpreted to mean that Trump hasn’t spoken to Boakai who has been in power since 2024 and had served as the 29th vice president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018.
Also, the comments appear to show Trump’s ignorance, particularly as Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society as a settlement for freed African-American slaves.
Liberia also has the deepest historical ties to the U.S. in Africa, with English as its official language since its independence in 1847.
Critics, including Liberian youth advocate Archie Tamel Harris, expressed dismay over Trump’s comment on Liberian President, stating, “I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country. For him to ask that question, I don’t see it as a compliment.”
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Recall also that this isn’t the first time Trump’s remarks about Africa have stirred controversy.
In 2018, during his first tenure, Trump referred to African nations as “shithole countries” during a meeting with senators, drawing global condemnation.
