Overview

• On July 9 at a White House lunch with African leaders, President Trump asked Liberian President Joseph Boakai where he learned to speak “so beautifully” in English despite it being Liberia’s official language.
• A clip of the exchange went viral on social media, prompting widespread criticism for perceived condescension and a lack of cultural awareness in diplomatic discourse.
• Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti said Boakai was unoffended, explaining that Trump recognized the familiar American-rooted accent in Liberia’s English.
• Senior White House adviser Massad Boulos and deputy press secretary Anna Kelly defended the remark as a heartfelt compliment, underscoring the administration’s focus on strengthening US-Africa relations.
• The episode has renewed discussion over diplomatic tone-deafness and follows a pattern of the president commenting on foreign leaders’ language skills during official meetings.