Here’s a refined version of the passage, maintaining the original meaning while enhancing clarity and tone:
During a meeting with West African leaders at the White House, President Donald Trump lavished praise on Liberian President Joseph Boakai for his "beautiful" English—comments that suggested Trump may have been unaware that English is Liberia’s official language.
“Such good English,” Trump remarked. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where? Were you educated, where?”
When Boakai replied that he learned English in Liberia, Trump responded, “That’s very interesting. It’s beautiful English.”
The exchange quickly drew criticism and mockery on social media, where users pointed out the historical irony of Trump’s apparent ignorance. Liberia was founded in the 1800s by formerly enslaved Black Americans who were sent to West Africa by the American Colonization Society—a group composed largely of white Americans, including slaveholders, who believed free Black people should not remain in the U.S.
As History.com notes, the society included both those who sought to preserve slavery and others who supported gradual emancipation but doubted Black and white Americans could live together as equals.
Liberia’s deep historical ties to the United States are also evident in the name of its capital, Monrovia—named after U.S. President James Monroe, a supporter of the colonization effort.
What’s truly “very interesting,” critics noted, is Trump’s apparent obliviousness to the unique and complex connection between Liberia and the United States.
Let me know if you'd like it adapted for a different tone (e.g., neutral news reporting or opinion editorial).