Donald Trump praises Liberian president's 'good English', the country's official language
During a meeting at the White House with five West African leaders on Thursday, the US president voiced his surprise at Joseph Boakai's command of English and complimented his language skills.
Trump told the Liberian leader he speaks "such good English" and asked "where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?"
Boakai laughed and responded that he learned in Liberia, to which Trump seemed surprised.
The US President said: "It's beautiful English. I have people at this table who can't speak nearly as well."
Many languages are spoken in Liberia but English is country's official language.
Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonisation Society to resettle freed American slaves in Africa.
Several Liberians voiced their offense over Trump's comment to Boakai, given the US president's past remarks on African countries and the colonial legacy left by the US organisation in Liberia.
Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, a Liberian political group, said that while the remarks were typical of Trump's engagement with foreign leaders, what some saw as a 'condescending' tone was amplified by the fact that the leaders were African.
'As a matter of fact, it also proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans," he said. "President Trump was condescending, he was very disrespectful to the African leader.'
Trump met leaders from Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau on Thursday in talks that discussed a pivot from aid to trade.
The White House Press Office defended Trump's statement on Wednesday.
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.'
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