{"id":16564,"date":"2025-07-10T12:04:07","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16564"},"modified":"2025-07-10T12:04:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T12:04:07","slug":"trump-slammed-after-asking-liberian-president-where-he-learned-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/used82.com\/?p=16564","title":{"rendered":"Trump slammed after asking Liberian president where he learned English"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>During his first term, Donald Trump sparked outrage across Africa and the Caribbean when he allegedly referred to Haiti and African nations as \u201csh-thole countries.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But on Wednesday, the U.S. president struck a noticeably different tone \u2014 although one comment still left critics fuming.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>While meeting with Liberian President Joseph Boakai, Trump praised him for his \u201cexcellent English.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>What he seemed unaware of, however, is that English is Liberia\u2019s official language \u2014 and Boakai was educated in his home country.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-one-offhand-comment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">One offhand comment<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.newsner.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\">Donald Trump\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0foreign policy toward Africa has been marked by controversy. He cut millions in humanitarian aid and granted refugee status to white South African farmers while restricting travel from several majority-Black nations.<\/p>\n<p>In a bid to push back against China\u2019s rising influence in Africa and strengthen ties with the continent, Trump welcomed the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal to the White House on Wednesday. The meeting, focused on boosting business relations, marked what Trump called a shift in strategy, moving \u201cfrom aid to trade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe treat Africa far better than China or anybody else,\u201d Trump declared.<\/p>\n<p>He praised the visiting nations as \u201cvibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But one offhand comment to Liberia\u2019s President Joseph Boakai is drawing fire online and reigniting criticism over Trump\u2019s past remarks about Africa.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=newsner&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1943002125300064388&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-slammed-after-asking-liberian-president-where-he-learned-english%2F&amp;sessionId=cfae6d9b05df348dcda39c81f29f88139186310b&amp;siteScreenName=newsner&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1943002125300064388\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>During the meeting, Boakai thanked Trump for the opportunity to collaborate on peace and security. That\u2019s when Trump cut in.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThank you. And such good English. Such beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated? Where?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Boakai calmly replied that he was educated in Liberia \u2014 where English is the official language. Trump\u2019s reaction?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s very interesting. Beautiful English! I have people at this table who can\u2019t speak nearly as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-peak-ignorance\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u201dPeak ignorance\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>The comment, intended as a compliment, immediately lit up social media and diplomatic circles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,\u201d said Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, in an interview with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/07\/09\/africa\/trump-praises-liberian-president-latam-intl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor him to ask that question, I don\u2019t see it as a compliment. I feel that the U.S. president and people in the West still see Africans as people in villages who are not educated.<\/p>\n<p>Liberia is a country on the west coast of Africa with about 5 million people. English is its official language.<\/p>\n<p>It was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society, a group that wanted to resettle freed slaves from the U.S. Liberia became an independent nation in 1847.<\/p>\n<p>A Liberian diplomat, speaking anonymously, called Trump\u2019s words \u201ca bit condescending.\u201d And Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) didn\u2019t hold back on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/RepJasmine\/status\/1943050693876814114\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">X<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>\u201dTrump never misses an opportunity to be racist and wrong, and every day he finds a new way to be embarrassing. Asking the President of Liberia where he learned English when it\u2019s literally the official language is peak ignorance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even South African politician Veronica Mente chimed in online, questioning why Boakai didn\u2019t just walk out.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-not-the-first-time\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not the first time<\/h2>\n<p>This isn\u2019t Trump\u2019s first time under fire for how he addresses non-Western leaders. As mentioned, he infamously referred to Haiti and several African countries as \u201cshithole nations\u201d in 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Though he denied the term, Senator Dick Durbin, who was in the meeting, said Trump made \u201chate-filled, vile and racist\u201d comments, and repeated them.<\/p>\n<p>In the years since, Trump has doubled down on English-first rhetoric. In March, he signed an executive order declaring English the official language of the U.S. And in past meetings, he\u2019s openly judged foreign leaders by how \u201cnicely\u201d they speak.<\/p>\n<p>During a meeting with Germany\u2019s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump asked,<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs your English as good as your German?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Merz replied with a laugh, \u201cI try to speak as good as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s also sidestepped reporters based on how they speak.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=newsner&amp;dnt=true&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1916513218437972392&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fen.newsner.com%2Fnews%2Ftrump-slammed-after-asking-liberian-president-where-he-learned-english%2F&amp;sessionId=cfae6d9b05df348dcda39c81f29f88139186310b&amp;siteScreenName=newsner&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-tweet-id=\"1916513218437972392\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI can\u2019t understand a word he\u2019s saying. It\u2019s the accent,\u201d Trump said of an Indian journalist in February.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to an Afghan reporter, he offered: \u201cBeautiful accent\u2026 only problem is I can\u2019t understand a word.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-white-house-it-was-a-compliment\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">White House: \u201cIt was a compliment\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Despite the uproar, the Trump administration insists the Liberia remark was meant kindly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe continent of Africa has never had such a friend in the White House as they do in President Trump,\u201d said Massad Boulos, senior advisor for Africa.<\/p>\n<p>White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly echoed the sentiment, calling it a \u201cheartfelt compliment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even Liberia\u2019s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti defended the moment:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was no offense\u2026 What President Trump heard distinctly was the American influence on our English in Liberia, and the Liberian president is not offended by that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The African leaders also expressed appreciation \u2014 and even admiration \u2014 for Trump. Boakai said Liberia supports Trump\u2019s global vision, adding: \u201cWe believe in the policy of making America great again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But some critics argue that Trump\u2019s \u201cbusiness-first\u201d approach still lacks substance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cChinese success in Africa is perhaps partly due to the failure of U.S. foreign policy,\u201d wrote Chinese political scientist Wenfang Tang last year, noting that while the U.S. often takes a \u201cmoralistic\u201d tone, China treats Africans as \u201ccomrades and business partners.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Was Trump\u2019s comment a genuine compliment \u2014 or just another tone-deaf remark rooted in outdated views about Africa?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Some say it was a friendly nod to Liberia\u2019s American ties. Others see it as another example of condescension toward a continent he\u2019s repeatedly offended. What do you think \u2014 harmless praise, or a diplomatic blunder?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During his first term, Donald Trump sparked outrage across Africa and the Caribbean when he&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":9,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16567,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16564\/revisions\/16567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/16565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/used82.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}