In a moment that drew awkward glances during a diplomatic luncheon, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, commended Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his command of the English language, despite English being the official language of Liberia and widely spoken by its citizens.
The exchange occurred at a White House lunch with several African leaders, shortly after President Boakai delivered brief remarks. President Trump, seemingly impressed, questioned Boakai’s fluency.
“Thank you, and such good English… Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?” Trump asked.
Boakai, a business graduate who, like most Liberians, speaks English as his first language, responded that he was educated in his home country. Facing away from the press corps, his subdued and brief reply suggested discomfort, though his facial expression was difficult to discern.
Despite the awkwardness, Trump continued:
“It’s beautiful English. I have people at this table can’t speak nearly as well,” he said.
Liberia’s historical ties to the United States date back to the 1820s, when the American Colonization Society—backed by members of the U.S. Congress and slaveholders—began resettling freed African Americans to West Africa. Thousands of these “Americo-Liberians” established a new society, eventually declaring independence in 1847 and forming a government that ruled over the indigenous majority.
Today, Liberia remains linguistically diverse, with numerous indigenous languages spoken alongside English. Kpelle is the most widely spoken indigenous tongue, and many Liberians also use creolized dialects for everyday communication. President Boakai himself is literate in Mendi and Kissi, but communicates publicly in English, which remains the country’s official language and lingua franca.
(AFP)
