In a meeting that raised more than a few eyebrows, former US President Donald Trump appeared both enchanted and utterly bewildered during talks with West African leaders this week – particularly when confronted with the reality that Liberians, in fact, speak English.
Meeting with presidents from Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau at the White House on Wednesday, Trump expressed surprise at Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s command of English – despite it being the country’s official language.
“You speak such good English,” Trump reportedly told Boakai, who had just finished a short address. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai, momentarily taken aback, simply replied, “In Liberia,” prompting laughter around the table. But Trump, undeterred, continued: “It’s beautiful English. I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Observers noted that Trump appeared entirely unaware of Liberia’s deep linguistic and historical ties to the United States. Founded in 1822 as a colony for freed African-American slaves, Liberia adopted English as its official language and modelled its political institutions after those of the US.
Rather than clarifying Liberia’s history, Boakai opted for diplomatic silence – a decision perhaps born of pragmatism, or simply disbelief.
While the linguistic faux pas drew mockery online, it was Trump’s broader message that proved more controversial. He promised what he termed a “pivot from aid to trade” – a phrase critics have labelled a euphemism for resource extraction.
“You’ve got very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits,” Trump said. “And wonderful people, very hard-working people.”
Human rights groups were quick to condemn the rhetoric, interpreting it as a signal of exploitative intent. “This was not diplomacy; it was a neo-colonial sales pitch,” one analyst noted. “Trump all but promised to bleed Africa dry.”
The comment has drawn comparisons to Trump’s previous remarks on African nations, including his infamous 2018 description of some as “sh*thole countries.”
When asked by a reporter if he would visit the continent, Trump replied, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.” He added, “I’d have to see what the schedule looks like.”
The comments have sparked renewed debate about Western leaders’ attitudes towards the continent, with critics calling for more respectful engagement rooted in mutual benefit – and basic historical awareness.
Trump’s successor, Joe Biden, had himself promised to visit Africa in 2023 but delayed the trip until December 2024, when he made a final-hour visit to Angola, just weeks before leaving office.
In a post-meeting press release, Trump’s team highlighted potential trade opportunities and encouraged listeners to “follow Trump100 on your podcast app” – a plug some saw as an undignified end to an already tone-deaf encounter.
