Camilla Jessen
“Peak ignorance” — Critics blast Trump for tone-deaf remark during White House meeting.
Donald Trump’s meeting with several African leaders was meant to signal a new chapter in U.S.-Africa relations. But one remark to Liberian President Joseph Boakai has reignited old criticisms and sparked fresh outrage.
During what was billed as a “strategic trade dialogue,” Trump praised Boakai’s “beautiful” English — and then asked where he had learned to speak so well.
The Liberian president calmly replied that he was educated in Liberia, where English is the official language.
Trump responded, “That’s very interesting. Beautiful English! I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
“Do Your Homework”
The comment, which Trump appeared to intend as a compliment, was widely condemned as condescending and ignorant.
Liberia’s official language has been English since its founding in the 1800s by freed American slaves. Many found the remark insulting — and revealing.
“I felt insulted,” Liberian youth advocate Archie Tamel Harris told CNN. “We are an English-speaking country. I don’t see it as a compliment.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) posted on X, “Trump never misses an opportunity to be racist and wrong… Asking the president of Liberia where he learned English when it’s literally the official language is peak ignorance.”
Not the First Time
Trump’s track record with Africa and the developing world has long been controversial.
In 2018, he was reported to have called several African nations and Haiti “shithole countries” — a remark confirmed by Senator Dick Durbin, who attended the meeting. Trump denied using the term, but the backlash was immediate and widespread.
He has also made headlines for comments about foreign leaders’ language skills. In March, he signed an executive order declaring English the official language of the U.S., a move criticized as exclusionary.
And during a meeting with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump quipped, “Is your English as good as your German?”
When speaking to journalists, Trump has similarly commented on accents: “I can’t understand a word he’s saying,” he said of an Indian journalist. About an Afghan reporter: “Beautiful accent… only problem is I can’t understand a word.”
A Different Tone, Same Criticism
Wednesday’s meeting was supposed to reset relations. Trump welcomed leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, stating that the U.S. was shifting “from aid to trade” and would treat Africa “better than China or anybody else.”
He called the visiting nations “vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.” But the tone soured after his exchange with Boakai.
A Liberian diplomat, speaking anonymously, described Trump’s words as “a bit condescending.”
White House: It Was a Compliment
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration insists there was no offense meant. Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly called the remark a “heartfelt compliment,” and Massad Boulos, a senior adviser for Africa, said, “The continent of Africa has never had such a friend in the White House as they do in President Trump.”
Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti also downplayed the moment: “There was no offense… What President Trump heard distinctly was the American influence on our English.”
Boakai Stands by Trump — for Now
President Boakai did not show any visible reaction during the exchange and later said Liberia supports Trump’s global vision. “We believe in the policy of making America great again,” he added.
Still, critics point out that symbolic gestures aren’t enough. “Trump’s ‘business-first’ approach to Africa lacks follow-through,” argued one political analyst. And Chinese scholars, like Wenfang Tang, have suggested that America’s perceived moral superiority contrasts poorly with China’s more pragmatic and respectful partnerships in Africa.
For a president seeking to reassert influence on the African continent, Trump’s tone continues to pose challenges. In a global landscape where diplomacy matters, critics say even offhand remarks can undermine serious efforts.
As one Liberian academic put it on social media: “He didn’t know we speak English? Then maybe he needs a history lesson — or at least a map.”
