On 9/7/2025, US President Donald Trump hosted a luncheon at the White House with African leaders, including Liberian President Joseph Boakai.
"Liberia is a longtime friend of the US, and we believe in your policy to make America great again," President Boakai stated, expressing support for US investment in his country. "We want to thank you very much for giving Liberia this opportunity," he added.
Trump appeared impressed with Boakai's English. "Thank you, your English is very good. Where did you learn it?" he asked.
President Boakai laughed and replied that he "studied in my own country." Media outlets reported that the Liberian president appeared slightly embarrassed by the question.
At the luncheon, other West African leaders spoke French. "That's beautiful English. The people at this table can't speak English that well," Trump added.
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President Trump during a luncheon with African leaders at the White House on 9/7. Photo: AFP |
President Trump during a luncheon with African leaders at the White House on 9/7. Photo: AFP
In the 1820s, the American Colonization Society, funded by Congress and slave owners, began sending freed slaves to a coastal settlement in Africa. This area was later named Liberia, meaning "Land of the Free," with its capital, Monrovia, named after then-US President James Monroe.
Thousands of African Americans migrated there and declared independence in 1847, establishing a government to lead the indigenous population. It was the first independent republic in Africa. The US has maintained close ties with the West African nation ever since.
Liberia has diverse indigenous languages and several mixed dialects, but English is the official language. President Boakai can read and write Mendi and Kissi but communicates in English.
Huyen Le (AFP, Reuters)
