President Trump said Wednesday he was impressed with Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s English during a meeting with African heads of state at the White House.
“Such good English,” he said after Boakai spoke.
“Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia? Well, that’s very interesting. It’s beautiful English,” Trump said during a joint press conference.
“I have people at this table can’t speak nearly as well,” he added.
English is the official language of Liberia, a West African nation founded in the early 1800s by philanthropists, abolitionists and some slave owners who sought to resettle free Black Americans. The country, located on Africa’s West Coast, also has several indigenous languages and a variation of English known as Liberian English.
Boakai was educated at the University of Monrovia, in the country’s capital named after U.S. President James Monroe, and later served under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first female leader of Liberia.
In response to criticism of Trump’s comments to Boakai, a White House spokeswoman told the New York Times in a statement that, “only the fake news could so pathetically pick apart President Trump’s heartfelt compliment during a meeting that marked a historic moment for U.S.-Africa relations.”
Trump invited the leaders of Gabon, Senegal, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau, as well as other African nations rich in natural resources, to the Wednesday White House meeting after signing an executive order in March to increase American mineral production.
The Trump administration locked in deals with China and Ukraine regarding access to their rare Earth deposits earlier this year.
Liberia’s real GDP is expected to grow around 5 percent in 2025, driven by continued expansion in mining, especially gold, and improvements in agriculture and services, according to the World Bank.
The nation has a population of 5.7 million and has attracted foreign interest for its wealth of rare Earth minerals and rare Earth metal neodymium, according to the organization.
“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” Boakai told Trump, before he complimented his speaking style.
Other African leaders echoed the same sentiment in support of “America First” policies, citing opportunities for economic collaboration.
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