Donald Trump once again found a way to turn diplomacy into a cringe spectacle. On Wednesday, during a formal lunch with the presidents of Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Gabon, and Liberia, the former president’s impatience and ignorance were on full display.
The meeting, intended to foster “commercial opportunities” with West African nations, began with Trump inviting the leaders to offer remarks to the press. Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani took the lead, graciously thanking Trump and discussing his country’s investment potential—specifically in rare earth minerals and strategic location.
But about seven minutes into Ghazouani’s remarks, Trump began signaling for him to stop. He shook his head, rolled his eyes, and gestured dramatically to speed things up. Eventually, Trump interrupted him outright.
“Maybe we’re going to have to go a little bit quicker than this,” he said, waving his hands. “We have a whole schedule.”
What followed bordered on insult. “Maybe just your name and your country,” Trump suggested, turning a diplomatic gathering into what felt like a cattle call. The remaining leaders complied, visibly uncomfortable.
It didn’t end there.
When Liberian President Joseph Boakai introduced himself, Trump smiled and said, “Such good English! Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”
Boakai, pausing for a moment, simply replied, “Liberia.”
The awkward silence that followed said it all. Trump appeared oblivious to the fact that English is Liberia’s official language—a fact that would be obvious to anyone with even a cursory understanding of the nation’s history.
Later, Trump welcomed Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s offer to build a golf course in Dakar, joking that he could “show off [his] skills.” Social media users were quick to call out the exchange as tone-deaf and self-absorbed.
Critics blasted the entire event as a display of disrespect. “These are heads of state, not interns,” tweeted one foreign policy analyst. “Trump reduced the entire meeting to a name-and-country roll call.”
Others pointed out the broader implications. “This wasn’t just embarrassing,” wrote another. “It shows why global leaders don’t take the U.S. seriously under Trump. He doesn’t listen, doesn’t read, and doesn’t care.”
The incident adds to a long list of Trump’s gaffes with world leaders, from referring to African nations as “shithole countries” in 2018 to calling Belgium a “beautiful city.” Diplomacy, under Trump, has often resembled a reality show—complete with ego, impatience, and spectacle.
For the African leaders at the table, the message was loud and clear: they were being tolerated, not respected.
Whether or not commercial ties emerge from the summit, one thing is certain—Trump’s “multilateral lunch” will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
