During a White House lunch with leaders from five African nations: Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal, US President Donald Trump drew online attention after praising Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai for speaking “such good English.” Trump asked the Liberian representative, “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
The remark, seemingly made in admiration, quickly went viral and sparked criticism on social media. Many users pointed out the irony- English has been Liberia’s official language since its founding in the 19th century.
Liberia, situated on the west coast of Africa, has deep historical ties with the United States. By 1847, it declared independence as Africa’s first republic, governed by people of African-American descent, known as Americo-Liberians.
It was established in 1822 as a settlement for free Black Americans. The idea originated from white Americans who viewed the presence and future of Black people in the US after slavery as a challenge to resolve. While English is the country’s official language, many Indigenous languages are also spoken throughout Liberia.
English was adopted as the nation’s official language and remains so to this day, used in everything from government documents to legal proceedings. Trump’s comment, though possibly well-intentioned, was seen by many as another example of his lack of awareness regarding international history and cultural contexts.