U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about Liberian President Joseph Boakai's "good English" has drawn widespread criticism across Africa, with many decrying the comment as condescending and reflective of ignorance about the continent.

MONROVIA, July 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about Liberian President Joseph Boakai's "good English" has drawn widespread criticism across Africa, with many decrying the comment as condescending and reflective of ignorance about the continent.

The innocuous-looking commendation emerged on Wednesday during Trump's White House meeting with five visiting West African leaders, including Boakai.

Following Boakai's address at the meeting, Trump expressed surprise at his "beautiful English," asking where the Liberian president had learned to speak "so beautifully," and specifically if it was "in Liberia." Boakai confirmed his education was indeed in Liberia.

While the Liberian government has downplayed the incident, saying that no offense was taken and Trump was simply acknowledging Liberia's American-influenced accent, the uproar from much of the African public, particularly online, told a different story.

With many expressing a sense of indignation and disappointment at Trump's comment, African netizens have been vocal in their opinions on platforms like X and Facebook, noting that English is the official language of Liberia, a nation founded in the 19th century by freed American slaves.

"It is disappointing that a world leader would be so unaware of the official language of a country with such deep historical ties to the U.S.," wrote Sam Yates, a Liberian living in Nigeria, on Face