There was confusion and anger in Liberia on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump praised the English skills of President Joseph Boakai.
“Such good English,” Trump said to Boakai, with visible surprise. “Such beautiful English.”
English has been the west African nation’s official language since the 1800s. But Trump did not stop there.
“Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” he continued, as Boakai murmured a response. “Where were you educated? Where? In Liberia?”
The exchange took place during a meeting in the White House between Trump and five West African leaders on Wednesday, amid a pivot from aid to trade in the U.S. foreign policy.
Liberia has had deep ties with the United States for centuries. The country has been first established with the aim of relocating freed slaves from the United States.
Foday Massaquio, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, said that while the remarks were typical of Trump’s engagement with foreign leaders, the 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.”
Kula Fofana, spokesperson for Boakai’s office, told The Associated Press: “I believe that as journalists, it is important to focus on the substantive discussions at the summit.”
Close relationship in the past
Trump’s comments added to the sense of betrayal which became palpable in Liberia in recent months.
Earlier this month, U.S. authorities dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development and said it was no longer following what they called “a charity-based foreign aid model.”
That decision sent shockwaves across Liberia, where American support made up almost 2.6% of the gross national income, the highest percentage anywhere in the world, according to the Center for Global Development.
Liberians thought they would be spared from Trump’s cuts because of the countries’ close relationship. Their political system is modeled on that of the U.S., along with its flag. Liberians often refer to the U.S. as their “big brother.”
Liberia was one of the first countries to receive USAID support, starting in 1961. The street signs, taxis and school buses resemble those in New York.
“In the first place, Liberia is a long standing friend of the USA, therefore Trump should have understood that we speak English as an official language,” said Moses Dennis, 37, a businessman from Monrovia. He added that Boakai did not go to Washington for “an English speaking competition.”
‘Condescending and ridiculing’
Reached for comment on Wednesday, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly called Trump’s remarks “a heartfelt compliment during a meeting that marked a historic moment for U.S.-Africa relations.”
Siokin Civicus Barsi-Giah, a leadership expert and a close associate of former President George Weah, said he did not see the remarks that way.
“Liberia is an English speaking country,” he said. “Former slaves and slave owners decided to organize themselves to let go of many people who were in slavery in the United States of America, and they landed on these shores now called the Republic of Liberia.”
For him, the exchange was “condescending and ridiculing.”
He added: “Joseph Boakai was not praised. He was mocked by the greatest president in the world, who is leading the greatest country in the world.”
Some however said that given Trump’s personal style, Wednesday’s remarks were meant as a praise.
“To some, the comment may carry a whiff of condescension, echoing a long-standing Western tendency to express surprise when African leaders display intellectual fluency,” said Abraham Julian Wennah the director of Research at the African Methodist Episcopal University. “In postcolonial contexts, language has long been weaponized to question legitimacy and competence.”
But if one looks at “Trump’s rhetorical style,” these remarks were “an acknowledgment of Boakai’s polish, intellect, and readiness for global engagement,” he said.
