President Donald Trump met with Liberia’s President Joseph Boakai on Wednesday, and a comment from the meeting drew feigned outrage from Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas.
During the meeting, Boakai made a short statement in flawless English.
“We want to work with the United States in peace and security within the region because we are committed to that, and we just want to thank you so much for this opportunity,” Boakai said.
Trump responded with a compliment.
“Thank you. And such good English. Such beautiful — Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated? Where?” Trump asked.
Boakai told Trump he learned English in Liberia, a country founded by freed American slaves in the 19th Century.
Trump replied, “That’s very interesting. Beautiful English! I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”
President Trump to Liberian President Joseph Boakai: “Thank you and such good English, such beautiful. Where did you learn to speak so beautifully, where? Were you educated, where? In Liberia?” pic.twitter.com/WZ2LR5JZcb
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 9, 2025
Then came the predictable outrage.
Were Trump’s comments offensive?
Crockett shared the clip on her X page and presented the comments as something just short of a hate crime.
“Trump never misses an opportunity to be racist and wrong, and every day he finds a new way to be embarrassing,” she wrote.
“Asking the President of Liberia where he learned English when it’s literally the official language is peak ignorance,” Crockett added. “I’m pretty sure being blatantly offensive is not how you go about conducting diplomacy…”
Trump never misses an opportunity to be racist and wrong, and every day he finds a new way to be embarrassing.
Asking the President of Liberia where he learned English when it’s literally the official language is peak ignorance.
I’m pretty sure being blatantly offensive is not… https://t.co/Jhvf9dvqZE
— Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (@RepJasmine) July 9, 2025
Let’s get a couple of things straight.
Was this a silly or awkward moment from Trump? Sure, a case can be made for that.
Was it racist? Not even close! Crockett seized the moment to do what she always does — to grandstand for clout, clicks, and outrage.
Trump didn’t know English is the official language of Liberia.
So what? A lot of people don’t. And frankly, Crockett probably didn’t either until she Googled it.
Trump clearly wasn’t mocking Boakai. He was complimenting him. He was doing what a president should do — making a foreign guest feel welcome on U.S. soil.
That’s what a statesman does. While the official language of Liberia is English, most of the population doesn’t speak it as a first language.
Trump — a man who countless people try to speak with every day — likely did not have time to break down the demographics and language statistics of Liberia before the meeting.
What he did do, and he did it well, was offer a person a genuine compliment.
So, to Crockett’s point. No, this wasn’t “peak ignorance.”
Peak ignorance is what so many X users are subjected to when visiting her page or have the misfortune of coming across clips of her speaking on television and online.
Trump was sincere when addressing Boakai on Wednesday, and it resulted in yet another failed attempt by Crockett and the deranged left to smear him.
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