At a White House luncheon with five visiting African heads of state, U.S. President Donald Trump applauded Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s fluent English—then asked where he had learned it, apparently unaware that English has been Liberia’s official language for nearly 200 years.
“Such good English. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?” Trump said after Boakai praised U.S.–Liberian ties and urged American investment. Boakai laughed and replied, “In Liberia, sir,” drawing a smile from the president.
Liberia was founded in 1822 as a colony for free Black Americans, and English remains its official language, although dozens of Indigenous languages are widely spoken.
The exchange unfolded as Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal—part of a charm offensive aimed at boosting business links after Washington’s recent tariffs and aid cuts drew criticism across Africa.
