At a White House lunch, Trump praised Liberia’s leader, Joseph Boakai, for speaking “beautiful English,” possibly unaware that English is Liberia’s official language.
As President Donald Trump hosted the leaders from the African countries of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal at the White House for lunch on Wednesday, he was particularly impressed with how President Joseph Bokai of Liberia spoke English.
Seemingly unaware that Liberia’s official language is English, Trump asked Bokai, “Such good English. Beautiful English. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai appeared to chuckle. “In Liberia?” Trump asked. “Yes sir,” Boakai said. “That’s very interesting,” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States, and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” said Boakai before advocating for US investment in his country. “We just want to thank you so much for this opportunity.”
The video of the moment went viral on social media, with many trolling Trump, the US President, for not being aware that Liberia’s official language is English.
Liberia’s ties with America go back over 150 years, when the post-Civil War United States was yet to form. The country, located on Africa’s west coast facing the Atlantic Ocean, was founded in 1822 as a colony of America by the American Colonization Society.
It was established as a colony of free African Americans, and in 1847, it became independent as Africa’s first republic governed by people of African American origin. The settlers, known as the Americo-Liberians, dominate the local culture, and that’s how, from the very beginning, English became the most widely used language in Liberia
Descendants of the freed slaves, commonly known as Americo-Liberians, maintained control of Liberia’s social and political systems until 1980.
Liberia’s political system is modelled after that of the United States, as is its flag, and Liberians often refer to the US as their “big brother.”
One X user stated: “The whole world is laughing at us.”
Another commented: “This is embarrassing and infuriating all the same.”
