This is the moment US President Donald Trump praised the Liberian president’s English, despite it being the official language of the West African nation.
Trump was basking in the praise of a group of African leaders on Wednesday, many of them speaking a different language, when President Joseph Boakai took to his microphone and spoke in English.
“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” Mr Boakai said at a White House meeting before advocating for US investment in his country.
“We just want to thank you so much for this opportunity.”
Trump was impressed and inquired where Mr Boakai got his language skills.
“Such good English,” Trump said. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Mr Boakai seemed to chuckle. "In Liberia?" Trump asked. “Yes sir,” Boakai said.
“That's very interesting,” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can't speak nearly as well.”
Liberia was founded in 1822 as a colony for free Black Americans, the brainchild of white Americans trying to address what they saw as a problem - the future for Black people in the United States once slavery ended.
English is Liberia's official language, though multiple Indigenous languages are spoken there as well.
Trump hosted leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal for a discussion and lunch at the White House, with the discussions focusing on business opportunities, a White House official said.
Africa experts are waiting for Trump to announce dates for a broader summit with African leaders, possibly in September around the time of the United Nations General Assembly.
Since Trump took office in January, his administration has hit Africa with steep cuts in foreign aid as well as a tariff war against US trading partners.
The cuts to US foreign aid for Africa as part of Trump’s “America First” agenda could result in more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030, research published by The Lancet medical journal showed last week.
Senior US officials have said that Washington wants to prioritise trade and investment over charity-based assistance and will focus on creating more opportunities for US firms.
All five countries invited to the meeting with Trump have abundant natural resources, including manganese, iron ore, gold, diamonds, lithium and cobalt, which are essential for use in current technologies.
China has made huge inroads in Africa in recent years, investing heavily across the continent, especially in resource extraction.
African Union officials have questioned how Africa could deepen trade ties with the US under what they called "abusive" tariff proposals and visa restrictions largely targeting travellers from Africa.
The top US diplomat for Africa, Ambassador Troy Fitrell, has dismissed allegations of unfair US trade practices.
