Overview

• The administration officially closed USAID on July 1 and signaled a shift from humanitarian assistance to commercial engagement with African governments.
• At the July 9 luncheon in the East Room, President Trump cut short Mauritania’s president and urged other attendees to keep remarks brief.
• Trump’s question to Liberian President Joseph Boakai about where he learned “such beautiful English” overlooked that English is Liberia’s official language.
• Leaders from Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Gabon and Senegal agreed to open their mining sectors to U.S. private investment in strategic minerals.
• Presidents of Mauritania and Senegal publicly suggested nominating Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his diplomatic and economic overtures.