US President Donald Trump during a meeting with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Trump is meeting the leaders of five African nations that will potentially offer American businesses opportunities in critical minerals and other natural resources. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg
Share this @internewscast.com

But the African leader was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.

During a meeting with five African leaders at the White House, Trump remarked to Boakai: “Such good English, it’s beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

US President Donald Trump during a meeting with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Trump is meeting the leaders of five African nations that will potentially offer American businesses opportunities in critical minerals and other natural resources. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump during a meeting with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House. (Bloomberg)

Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity.

“That’s very interesting,” he said.

“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society whose goal was to resettle freed slaves in Africa.

Liberia declared its independence from the American Colonisation Society in 1847, and today, the country is home to a variety of languages, with English serving as the official language.

Trump’s comment to Boakai did not sit well with several Liberians, as it resonated with past remarks he made about African countries and touched upon the colonial remnants left in Liberia by the U.S. organisation.

“I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,” Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.

“For him to ask that question, I don’t see it as a compliment. I feel that the US president and people in the west still see Africans as people in villages who are not educated.”

A Liberian diplomat who asked not to be named told CNN that they felt the comment “was not appropriate.”

The diplomat added that “it was a bit condescending to an African president who’s from an English-speaking nation”.

Liberian President Joseph Boakai, second from right, attends a lunch with other African leaders hosted by US President Donald Trump in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, on July 9.
Liberian President Joseph Boakai, seen second from right, Boakai informed Trump of his place of education. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters via CNN Newsource)
Veronica Mente, a South African politician, questioned on X: “what stops [Boakai] from standing up and leav[ing]?”

The White House Press Office defended Trump’s statement.

“I was in the meeting and everyone was deeply appreciative of the President’s time and effort. The continent of Africa has never had such a friend in the White House as they do in President Trump,” Massad Boulos, the Trump administration’s senior advisor for Africa, said in a statement to CNN.

White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that Trump’s comment was a “heartfelt compliment” and that “reporters should recognise that President Trump has already done more to restore global stability and uplift countries in Africa and around the world than Joe Biden did in four years”.

Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti told CNN that “there was no offence” from the Liberian president’s perspective and that “many people do not understand the linguistic borders or linguistic demography of the African continent.”

“What President Trump heard distinctly was the American influence on our English in Liberia, and the Liberian president is not offended by that,” Nyanti said.

“We know that English has different accents and forms, and so him picking up the distinct intonation that has its roots in American English for us was just recognising a familiar English version,” she continued.

Trump has previously applauded the English language abilities of other leaders during diplomatic meetings.

During a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump complimented his “good English” and asked if it was as good as his German.

US President Donald Trump, from left, Jamieson Greer, US trade representative, and Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff for policy, during a meeting with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Trump is meeting the leaders of five African nations that will potentially offer American businesses opportunities in critical minerals and other natural resources. Photographer: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg
The White House Press Office defended Trump’s statement. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Merz laughed and noted that he tries to “understand almost everything” and said he makes an effort “to speak as good as I can”.

The US president has centred the English language as part of this “America First” platform.

During a 2015 presidential debate, Trump asserted that the US is “a country where we speak English”.

In March, he signed an executive order making English the official language of the US.

Trump has previously landed in hot water for things he has said about the African nations.

In 2018, the president referred to migrants from African countries and other nations as coming from “shithole countries”.

In May, he lectured South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on false claims that white South African farmers are the victims of a genocide.

Trump struck a different tone on Wednesday as he met with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, praising their countries as “all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.”

In turn, he was met with approval from the African leaders, who heaped praise on the president as they urged him to invest in their countries and develop their plentiful natural resources.

Boakai even remarked that Liberia “(believes) in the policy of making America great again”.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
3D rendering of influenza virus (bodym/iStock)

Queensland Experiencing Surge in Flu Cases Amid Expert Concerns of Potential Worsening

Influenza cases have surged throughout Queensland, leading to urgent health recommendations for…
'Deeply loved' Australian lawyer, father of two, dies in Thailand

Beloved Australian Lawyer and Father of Two Passes Away in Thailand

An Australian lawyer and father of two who passed away in Thailand…

Understanding the Political Tension: Anthony Albanese’s Role Between the US and China

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares to meet with his Chinese counterpart…

“Dropped Charge Against Protester Hannah Thomas Sparks Concerns Over Police Fairness”

Civil liberties groups have criticised NSW Police’s attempt to invoke rarely used…
Police probing mystery death at popular Adelaide beach

Authorities Investigating Unexplained Death at Well-Known Adelaide Beach

A young man’s death at a beach in Adelaide’s southern suburbs remains…

Russia Launches Unprecedented 728 Drone Attack on Ukraine Following Trump’s Promise to Increase Weapon Supplies

Russia has targeted Ukraine with a record 728 drones, hours after United…
The Defence Minister has brushed off suggestions Australia's nuclear submarine deal is on shaky ground after concerns were raised in the United States.

Report Calls for Significant Revisions to AUKUS Agreement in the US

The Pentagon is reportedly considering adding extra costs and conditions to the…
Nutella maker Ferrero plans to buy cereal maker WK Kellogg for $3.1b

Ferrero, the company behind Nutella, is set to acquire the cereal manufacturer WK Kellogg for $3.1 billion.

Italian confectioner Ferrero, renowned for its Nutella and Kinder brands, is acquiring…
The bodies of two men, believed to have died at different times, have been found inside a home in inner Sydney. 

Police Provide Update on Discovery of Decomposing Bodies in Urban Residence

The deaths of two men whose decomposing bodies were discovered in an…
orcas

Orcas Spotted Presenting ‘Gifts’ to Humans on Camera

When researcher Jared Towers set up his cameras underwater to observe a…

Man in Critical Condition Following Suspected Hit and Run After Dispute

One man is fighting for his life and another will face court…

Israeli Official Suggests Gaza Ceasefire Could Happen in a Week or Two

Israel and Hamas may be able to reach a Gaza ceasefire and…