Trump’s ‘Good English’ Gaffe Is Proof He Still Doesn’t Get Africa Or Grammar

Donald Trump’s latest attempt at foreign diplomacy was once again marked by ignorance after turning a diplomatic gesture into yet another example of his inability to speak respectfully or intelligently about other cultures, especially those from Africa. 

Earlier this week, while hosting five African leaders at the White House in what he framed as a renewed effort to “invest in trade, not aid,” Trump managed to simultaneously insult and embarrass us all after asking Liberian President Joseph Boakai where he learned to “speak so beautifully?”

“Such good English, it’s beautiful,” Trump said. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

Boakai, seemingly unfazed, responded that he was educated in Liberia, where English is, in fact, the official language.

Perplexed, Trump said: “That’s very interesting. I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

But this wasn’t a compliment, it was a microaggression wrapped in ignorance, delivered with the smugness of someone who can barely string together a grammatically correct sentence himself. What’s worse than the remark was the reception by President Boakai. Rather than seizing the moment to challenge the insult, he instead nodded along before later noting that Liberia cosigned Trump’s MAGA message. 

“Liberia believes in the policy of making America great again,” Boakai said, sounding like a man too grateful for his seat at the table to question the menu.

Let’s talk about that for a moment. 

Founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society, Liberia was birthed with the goal of resettling freed slaves in Africa. The country declared independence from the American Colonization Society in 1847. 

In truth, Boakai’s deference exposes the flaws of post-colonial politics where former colonies are still put in the diplomatic position of having to show up at the empire’s front door with their hat in hand, seeking approval, investments, and photo ops. Now, rather than continuing to stand in solidarity with fellow African nations building intra-continental partnerships as promised, Liberia seems to be forced into a return to the very apron strings its ancestors severed.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities dissolved the U.S. Agency for International Development and said it was no longer following what they called “a charity-based foreign aid model.”

That decision sent shock waves across Liberia, where American support made up almost 2.6% of the gross national income, the highest percentage anywhere in the world, according to the Center for Global Development.

Following the inhumane decision with the backhanded compliment on President Boakai’s dialect, many Africans who speak English, not as a second language but as a national one, view Trump’s comment as not only offensive, but deeply condescending. 

South African politician Veronica Mente took to X to question why Boakai decided to remain in the meeting, writing: “What stops [Boakai] from standing up and leaving?” While an unnamed Liberian diplomat reportedly told CNN the remark “was not appropriate.”

Foday Massaquoi, chairman of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots, told NBC that while the remarks were typical of Trump’s engagement with foreign leaders, the condescending tone was amplified by the fact that the leaders were African.

“As a matter of fact, it also proves that the West is not taking us seriously as Africans,” Foday Massaquoi said. “President Trump was condescending; he was very disrespectful to the African leader.”

Kula Fofana, spokesperson for Boakai’s office, told The Associated Press: “I believe that as journalists, it is important to focus on the substantive discussions at the summit.”

The optics are troubling. Instead of prioritizing the continued forging of stronger alliances with fellow African nations or investing in regional partnerships that prioritize African interests, Liberia is clamoring for U.S. approval and economic investment, and for what? A seat at a table where they are met with surprise at their ability to speak English?

Liberia was created to escape the very systems of marginalization its leaders now seem willing to tolerate in exchange for attention from Western powers.

Trump’s fixation on English is a recycled political tool, a symbol of nationalism, and a Jim Crow-tainted litmus test attempting to determine worth and value by its proximity to whiteness. From mocking South Asian and Middle Eastern reporters for their accents to repeatedly praising the “good English” of white European leaders, his comments reflect a deeply embedded bias. It’s a bias that elevates whiteness as the standard of intellect and civility while dismissing everyone else.

What makes his comments all the more absurd is his own often incoherent and error-riddled speech. This is a man who created words like “covfefe,” signed an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States, and once told an English-speaking reporter he couldn’t understand him “because of the accent.” So when Trump marvels at another leader’s ability to speak English “beautifully,” the irony is almost laughable.

The White House later defended the comment, calling it a “heartfelt compliment,” but to many observers, it was yet another example of Trump’s consistent failure to engage with the world respectfully or competently. 

At a time when Africa is emerging as a vital force in the global economy and a strategic player in the geopolitical arena, leaders like President Boakai must ask themselves: Are we here to build partnerships rooted in respect and mutual progress—or are we willing to trade dignity for diplomacy with a man who sees our brilliance as an anomaly?

Because while Trump may have praised “good English,” the world heard something far more familiar, the echo of condescension from a man who clearly benefited from teachers grading on a curve. 

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