Donald Trump has praised the president of Liberia for speaking “such good English,” seemingly unaware that Liberia’s official language is, in fact, English.
The awkward remark was made as the U.S. president hosted five African leaders on Wednesday for lunch at the White House to discuss potential economic opportunities.
After inviting Liberian president Joseph Boakai to address the group, Trump thanked him and noted, “Such good English. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai laughed and appeared somewhat confused as Trump pressed on: “Where were you educated? In Liberia?”
“Yes, sir,” he replied.
“Well, that’s very interesting. Beautiful English,” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
Liberia was founded in the 1820s as a settlement for freed African-American slaves, hence its name, which translates to “free.” English is its official language, although it also has numerous indigenous languages and a form of English known as Liberian English.
On Wednesday, its president joined the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal for a White House lunch meeting designed to promote private sector investment, secure minerals deals, and bolster supply chains.
The move is the latest effort by successive U.S. administrations to counter perceptions that America has neglected the region, at a time when China has increasingly sought to make economic inroads.
Officials say the talks reflect the Trump administration’s pivot from foreign aid to economic partnerships on the continent.
Despite the growing influence of Beijing, none of Africa’s largest economies, such as South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, were asked to attend the lunch, which marks the start of a two-day summit of closed-door meetings.
The summit comes after Trump also invited top diplomats from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the White House to sign a peace agreement with the aim of ending the decades-long, deadly fighting in eastern Congo.
That meeting also raised eyebrows at the time, after Trump told an African reporter who commended his work that she was “beautiful” and that “I wish I had more reporters like you.”
The president’s guests on Wednesday praised the Rwanda-DRC peace agreement, and many of the leaders also told him that they believed he was worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
“I don’t really know how things work when it comes to Nobel Prizes but I can guarantee you that Mauritania would never be opposed to President Trump receiving a Nobel Peace Prize, because he is already working very hard in favor of peace throughout the world, with no distinction,” said Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
“I could do this all day,” Trump mused as the leaders took it in turns to flatter him.
