When U.S. President Donald Trump met five African leaders in Washington this month, his lack of familiarity with the continent was on display. He praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai’s English — Liberia’s official language — and gestured at another leader to wrap up remarks.
But the bigger takeaway was Trump’s pledge to transform U.S.-Africa relations: a shift from aid to trade, even as the region reels from his steep tariffs and sweeping aid cuts.
