Trump praises ‘good English' of Liberian president, prompting criticism across Africa
As he hosted five African leaders at the White House, Trump asked Boakai: 'Such good English, it's beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?'
Boakai informed Trump of his place of education, prompting Trump to express his curiosity. 'That's very interesting,' he said, 'I have people at this table who can't speak nearly as well.'
Liberia was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society whose goal was to resettle freed slaves in Africa. The country declared independence from the American Colonization Society in 1847, and a variety of languages are spoken in the country today, with English being the official language.
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 organization in Liberia.
'I felt insulted because our country is an English-speaking country,' Archie Tamel Harris, a Liberian youth advocate, told CNN.
'For him to ask that question, I don't see it as a compliment. 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 who asked not to be named told CNN that they felt the comment 'was not appropriate.' The diplomat added that 'it was a bit condescending to an African president who's from an English-speaking nation.'
Veronica Mente, a South African politician, questioned on X: 'what stops [Boakai] from standing up and leav[ing]?'
The White House Press Office defended Trump's statement on Wednesday.
'I was in the meeting and everyone was deeply appreciative of the President's time and effort. The continent of Africa has never had such a friend in the White House as they do in President Trump,' Massad Boulos, the Trump administration's senior advisor for Africa, said in a statement to CNN.
White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that Trump's comment was a 'heartfelt compliment' and that 'reporters should recognize 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.'
Liberia's Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti told CNN that 'there was no offense' from the Liberian president's perspective and that 'many people do not understand the linguistic borders or linguistic demography of the African continent.'
'What President Trump heard distinctly was the American influence on our English in Liberia, and the Liberian president is not offended by that,' Nyanti said.
'We know that English has different accents and forms, and so him picking up the distinct intonation that has its roots in American English for us was just recognizing a familiar English version,' she continued.
Trump has previously applauded the English language abilities of other leaders during diplomatic meetings. During a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Trump complimented his 'good English' and asked if it was as good as his German.
Merz laughed and noted that he tries to 'understand almost everything' and said he makes an effort 'to speak as good as I can.'
The US president has centered the English language as part of this 'America First' platform. During a 2015 presidential debate, Trump asserted that the US is 'a country where we speak English.' In March, he signed an executive order making English the official language of the US.
Trump has previously landed in hot water for things he has said about the African nations. In 2018, the president referred to migrants from African countries and other nations as coming from 'shithole countries.'
In May, he lectured South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on false claims that White South African farmers are the victims of a genocide.
Trump struck a different tone on Wednesday as he met with the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, praising their countries as 'all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, great oil deposits, and wonderful people.'
In turn, he was met with approval from the African leaders, who heaped praise on the president as they urged him to invest in their countries and develop their plentiful natural resources.
Boakai even remarked that Liberia '(believes) in the policy of making America great again.' — CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Netanyahu's inconsequential visit to Washington
It might have been naive to believe that the meeting in Washington this week between America's President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was going to lead to an announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. After all, there have already been many false dawns. But having observed the terrible humanitarian tragedy that has unfolded in the territory over the past 21 months, who can blame any decent human being for hoping and praying for this nightmare to finally come to an end? It is for those who create the obstacles, or who are not using the full weight of their influence to stop this human suffering, to answer the question of what is preventing them from ending a war that no one is winning, and which is only causing immense hurt while harming the prospect of any future peace between the two peoples. Netanyahu arrived in the US in a very different state of mind compared with his previous visits since the war started. He was much more confident. He is now convinced that Israel's show of force in Iran, with Tehran's proxies considerably weakened, and his success in pulling in the US to participate in an attack on Iran's nuclear installations, have considerably elevated his status in Washington. Astonishingly, he also managed to drag Trump into an interfering role in the legal proceedings against him. The US president described Netanyahu's corruption trial a witch-hunt, which it most definitely is not, and even threatened to halt American aid to Israel if it was not brought to an immediate halt. The Israeli prime minister's visit to Washington was part of his attempts to secure his political survival and revival. Trump seemed to play his part, and even took part in a piece of grotesque theater in which Netanyahu presented him with a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump, who previously pledged he would be 'very firm' with Netanyahu about ending the war in Gaza, on this occasion, and for no apparent reason, completely refrained from putting any pressure at all on the Israeli leader. While the immediate hopes for a ceasefire agreement were dashed, Israeli and Hamas negotiating teams were still engaged in proximity talks in Doha in an effort to resolve their differences, and Trump expressed cautious optimism when he declared that the negotiations to end the war in Gaza had been 'going along very well.' Israeli sources told journalists that 90 percent of outstanding issues have been resolved but the negotiations require more time. While the ability to reach an agreement on most issues is always a positive development, it ultimately means very little because in negotiations of this nature nothing is agreed until everything is agreed — and what remains unsettled includes those issues that are crucial to both sides, including an Israeli agreement to end the war, whether Israel will maintain a presence in the Gaza Strip, and whether the leadership of Hamas will be exiled. These sticking points will determine whether or not a ceasefire deal can be reached. Meanwhile, time is running out for the people of Gaza, and very quickly. Netanyahu's trip to Washington reflected his determination to remain in power, and possibly to avoid justice by derailing his corruption trial. Yossi Mekelberg What should obviously worry Gazans, and also those who believe in human rights and the rule of law, is that they have suffered immensely, even before the war began and immeasurably since. They have for months also been subjected to speculation about their possible removal from Gaza altogether. Other reports warn of the prospect of hundreds of thousands of them being pushed into the south of the territory. The very fact that the 'option' of a so-called 'voluntary migration' was even discussed with Netanyahu and his delegation in Washington is disturbing. The euphemisms of a 'humanitarian city' and 'voluntary migration' serve to sedate and deceive decent people around the world, or ease their consciences, when what is actually being suggested are most probably acts tantamount to horrendous war crimes on a huge scale. When Netanyahu says in Washington, 'If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,' he is being disingenuous. Nearly two years of war have rendered Gaza almost uninhabitable, and instead of suggesting it be rebuilt, Israel's prime minister, with the support of the US, is saying that its residents might be better off going somewhere else. One cannot imagine a lower level of shamelessness to which this Israeli government might sink. When the war began this displacement was not one of Israel's objectives; it emerged as Israeli forces occupied most of the Gaza Strip, and then the extreme right wing in the country received a boost from Trump's misguided and tactless idea about rebuilding the territory as a 'Gaza riviera' — but not for the Palestinians. The timing of this Trump-Netanyahu summit, following the 12-day war against Iran last month, gave it a different flavor than previous meetings, as both leaders see themselves, not without reason, as victorious. The true extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program is still unknown but one thing is not in question: Israel's initial military success, which gave its air force total freedom to operate in Iran, created the opportunity for Netanyahu to tempt Trump into getting involved to help, allegedly, finish the job using the kind of weaponry only the US possesses. On the one hand there is a sense in Washington that Netanyahu owes the American president for this assistance and should pay him back by showing more flexibility on the Palestinian issue. However, although Trump is not the type of person who ever believes he owes anyone anything, what Israel did in Iran actually gave him the chance to demonstrate determination and conviction as the US commander-in-chief and, within 24 hours, also to assert his authority by dictating to Israel that the war was over, to actually conclude it, and to suggest that decisions about the future of Iran's nuclear program should now move to the diplomatic sphere — thus becoming a peacemaker. Nevertheless, Trump has in mind a larger agenda: the expansion of the Abraham Accords to other countries within the region and beyond. But by now there is a recognition within his administration that this is not feasible without progress, firstly toward the end of war in Gaza and the reconstruction of the territory, and then to establish a genuine peace process between the Israelis and Palestinians that can lead to a two-state solution. Netanyahu and his government remain a major obstacle to this, albeit not the only one. The question now is what Trump will do. What is quickly becoming clear is that from Netanyahu's perspective the visit to Washington was part of the unofficial launch of his reelection campaign. The cracks in his coalition are growing but the war with Iran has enhanced his position in opinion polls. His trip to Washington reflected his determination to remain in power, and possibly to avoid justice by derailing his corruption trial. Trump and Netanyahu are not exactly soulmates but they do understand how they can serve each other's interests and personal ambitions. Sadly this will not necessarily help bring an end to the war in Gaza or restore regional stability.
Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Von der Leyen vows to defend EU interests after Trump announces 30% tariffs
BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday voiced the EU's readiness to continue working toward a trade agreement with the United States before the Aug. 1 deadline, after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on EU and Mexican imports. "We remain ready to continue working towards an agreement by August 1. At the same time, we will take all necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including the adoption of proportionate countermeasures if required," von der Leyen said in a written statement. Trump's declaration, delivered in letters to von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and published on his Truth Social account, revealed that the US would begin imposing a 30% tariff on goods imported from both the EU and Mexico starting next month. Von der Leyen emphasized the EU's longstanding commitment to a 'negotiated' solution and stressed that few global economies can match the bloc's level of 'openness and adherence to fair trading practices.' "Imposing 30 percent tariffs on EU exports would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic," she warned. While Trump cited persistent trade deficits and unequal terms in his letter, von der Leyen reaffirmed the EU's position as a reliable and rules-based trading partner. She reiterated that the bloc will not hesitate to take responsive action to protect its economic interests if talks collapse. The tariff threat has cast serious doubts over the future of US-EU trade talks, which were expected to result in a new comprehensive deal this month. — Agencies
Saudi Gazette
4 hours ago
- Saudi Gazette
Trump imposes 30% tariffs on EU and Mexico, warns against retaliation
WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that a 30% tariff will be imposed on goods imported from the European Union and Mexico starting August 1, escalating trade tensions with two of Washington's major partners. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump shared formal letters addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, notifying them of the new tariffs. He justified the move as a response to what he called 'long-standing trade imbalances' and 'unfair barriers.' 'To the European Union,' Trump wrote, 'we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent trade deficits, engendered by your tariff and non-tariff policies.' He added that the US-EU trade relationship 'has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.' Trump warned both parties that any retaliatory tariff increases would be met with further hikes. 'Whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added on to the 30% that we charge,' he stated. In his letter to Mexican President Sheinbaum, Trump acknowledged recent cooperation in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the US but criticized what he called Mexico's failure to prevent North America from becoming a 'Narco-Trafficking Playground.' The decision casts a shadow over ongoing US-EU trade negotiations, which Brussels had hoped to finalize this month. The move also follows a fresh wave of tariffs announced earlier this week, including a 50% duty on copper imports and new penalties targeting Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Brazil. — Agencies
