‘Where did you learn to speak English so beautifully?’ Trump asks President of Liberia — where English is official language

Liberia, founded in the 19th century by freed African Americans, has long had English as its official language. Though many Indigenous languages are spoken throughout the country, English is the primary medium for governance, education, and diplomacy.

“Not a compliment,” say some Liberians

Archie Tamel Harris, a youth advocate in Liberia, told CNN he found the exchange insulting. “Our country is an English-speaking country,” he said. “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 called the comment inappropriate and “condescending.” South African politician Veronica Mente, reacting online, questioned why Boakai didn’t “stand up and leave” the meeting.

However, Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti downplayed the controversy, saying Boakai had not taken offense. “What President Trump heard distinctly was the American influence on our English in Liberia,” she said, explaining that the president may have simply recognised a familiar accent.

“We know that English has different accents and forms,” Nyanti added, noting that Trump’s comment may have been rooted in that recognition.

Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti downplayed the controversy, saying Boakai had not taken offense. (AP Photo)

The Trump administration defended the remark. Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior advisor for Africa, said the African leaders at the summit were appreciative of Trump’s time and approach. Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly called the president’s comment “a heartfelt compliment” and criticised media coverage for portraying it negatively.

Trump has previously complimented other leaders — such as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — for their English fluency, reported CNN.

Trump’s meeting with African leaders

The exchange occurred during a summit where Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal. Trump emphasised his administration’s shift in policy focus from aid to trade, framing the US as a better partner for Africa than China.

“There’s great economic potential in Africa, like few other places,” Trump said, as per The Guardian. “In many ways, in the long run, this will be far more effective and sustainable and beneficial than anything else that we can be doing together.”

African leaders responded with praise for Trump’s leadership and called for more US investment. “We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials,” said Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema. “But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources.”

(With inputs from CNN, The Guardian)