President Donald Trump complimented Liberian President Joseph Boakai on his English-speaking abilities during a White House meeting on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, apparently unaware that English is the official language of the West African nation. The exchange occurred during a lunch with five African leaders in the State Dining Room.
After Boakai delivered brief remarks, Trump responded with visible surprise. “Thank you, and such good English,” Trump said to the Liberian leader. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?” Boakai, who like most Liberians speaks English as a first language, indicated he had been educated in his own country.
Trump continued praising Boakai’s linguistic skills, telling him it was beautiful English and noting that he had people at the table who could not speak nearly as well. The Liberian leader was facing away from the media, making his response difficult to gauge, but sources described his reaction as awkward and mumbled.
The comments prompted criticism across social media and from political figures. Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas wrote on social media that Trump never missed an opportunity to be racist and wrong, calling the exchange peak ignorance. Former Representative Adam Kinzinger described Trump as absolutely the dumbest man in government, calling the situation ridiculous.
Liberia has deep historical ties to the United States, dating back to the 1820s when Congress and the American Colonization Society began sending freed slaves to its shores. Thousands of Americo-Liberian settlers followed, declaring independence in 1847 and establishing a government. The country’s capital, Monrovia, was named after James Monroe, the fifth U.S. president, who supported establishing Liberia as a state for freed American slaves.
English serves as Liberia’s national language and lingua franca, though the country has a diverse array of indigenous languages and creolized dialects. Kpelle-speakers represent the largest single linguistic group. Boakai himself can read and write in the indigenous Mendi and Kissi languages, but converses primarily in English.
The Liberian government attempted to downplay the incident. Kula Fofana, spokesperson for Boakai’s office, emphasized the importance of focusing on substantive discussions at the summit rather than the exchange. Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti addressed the comments on social media, stating that no offense was taken and that Trump’s remarks simply acknowledged Liberia’s familiar American-rooted accent.
However, many Liberians expressed confusion and anger over the exchange. Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, described the remarks as condescending and disrespectful to African leadership. He suggested the comments proved that the West does not take Africans seriously.
The incident adds to Trump’s contentious history with African nations. During his first term, he faced diplomatic backlash after Senator Dick Durbin reported that Trump had referred to African nations as “shithole countries” during a 2018 meeting. Trump denied using that expression. More recently, Trump promoted debunked claims about white genocide in South Africa and subjected South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to a video containing misinformation about Afrikaner farmers.
The meeting included leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal, in addition to Liberia. According to reports, Trump was pushing these five countries to accept migrants deported by the United States. The African countries reportedly received memos before their meeting requesting that they resettle migrants, part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement strategy.
Trump has previously struck similar deals, including an agreement with Panama to accept deported migrants, resulting in 119 people being sent to Central America. The U.S. also sent eight migrants to South Sudan last week, though only one was actually a citizen of that country.
The White House defended Trump’s remarks. Spokesperson Anna Kelly called them a heartfelt compliment during a historic moment for U.S.-Africa relations. Massad Boulos, Trump’s adviser on Africa, insisted the president was complimenting Boakai’s language skills and that everyone appreciated Trump’s time and effort.
The exchange highlighted ongoing tensions in U.S.-Africa relations under Trump’s administration. Earlier this month, Trump dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development and announced the end of what he called a charity-based foreign aid model. This decision particularly impacted Liberia, where U.S. support comprised nearly 2.6 percent of gross national income, the highest percentage globally according to the Center for Global Development.
