In my personal inquisitiveness for international affairs, I have observed the undiplomatic chats between President Donald J. Trump and African leaders. His unstructured conversations have not once impressed me. His posture reflects that of a bully, his body language is dismissive, his words are loaded with unconcealed arrogance, and the disrespect they portray is deliberately meant to cause damage.
With his incessant disrespect, I do not see Trump as a statesman; I see him as a man intoxicated by power, blind to dignity and deaf to the principles of mutual respect and understanding that ought to define international relations.
During his first tenure, although random, he expressed moderate opinions on matters of diplomacy. Now in his second term as President of the United States, he has intensified his pattern of insults and intimidation focused on African leaders. His current approach to foreign policy, if it can even be described that way, is the actualization of his inherent narcissistic traits. We are now seeing a man who is not exemplary in any way, but one who has taken the lead in showcasing his loud and unfiltered disdain for a continent that has historically been a friend of the United States of America.
On May 21, 2025, while in a contentious meeting at the Oval Office, President Trump ignited an outrageous conversation, accusing South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government of “killing white farmers.” The accusation was unsubstantiated, and the evidence Trump tried to present as proof of “White Genocide” was screenshot photos of videos from the Democratic Republic of Congo. To Africans, and particularly South Africans, Trump’s arguments echoed a widely discredited far-right conspiracy theory.
South Africans also view these racially charged and irresponsible remarks as disdainful, utterly expressed by Trump to insult South Africa’s post-apartheid progress in an attempt to show complete disregard for their country’s sovereignty.
With our minds still fresh from the disrespect President Ramaphosa received, and with Trump defiantly persisting without retracting or clarifying his statement, he doubled down by setting the stage for what transpired at a subsequent high-level roundtable meeting with African heads of state.
The meeting, which was attended by Liberian President Joseph Boakai, Gabon’s President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Cissoko Embaló, Mauritania’s President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, did not pass uneventfully. During the three days of discussion, Trump continued his practice of condescension by turning to President Boakai and mockingly asking, “You speak good English. Where did you learn it?” Trump’s statement was a blatant manifestation of ignorance regarding Liberia’s establishment by freed American slaves and its English linguistic heritage. His question was not a show of curiosity. He was deliberately acting to belittle President Boakai.
Another of Trump’s victims is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who found himself in Trump’s ambush at the White House, where he endured Trump’s unrestrained emotional outbursts during a bilateral session. Many people around the world watched their televisions in shock, witnessing President Trump and the vice president reducing a wartime ally to an object of humiliation. This behavior occurred while Trump was simultaneously uttering praise for autocrats.
President Trump’s contempt is not limited to words. His administration deported criminals to South Sudan without any coordination or bilateral agreement just a week or two ago. He did not care whether he was putting South Sudan’s national security at risk; his prime desire was to humiliate an already vulnerable state. There are credible reports now that similar deportation plans are in the works for Nigeria and Liberia. This is another affront to African sovereignty.
We have also learned from the news that Elon Musk, the South African-born tech mogul and one of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the world today, is facing deportation threats from Trump. We have seen their spats on X (formerly Twitter), with President Trump hurling insults at and mocking Musk in public.
What Trump should know is that Musk is a son of Africa, and if the United States under him cannot recognize his genius and what his technology companies have contributed to the United States of America—and even his own re-election—Africa can and will. The continent has the capacity and ambition to embrace its sons and daughters who face any form of mistreatment abroad.
By his actions, Africa should now realize that Trump is not treating it as a partner. He views Africa as a playground for power politics.
His saber-rattling diplomacy, conveyed in an imperial tone and dismissive body language and premised on executive orders, has taken a transactional dimension. It goes without saying that this obsession with dominance has already alienated Africa. It is a sufficient force that would drive it directly into the arms of the United States of America’s adversaries.
Trump should take note that China, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, among others, are watching the situation closely. They have been extending to Africa what Trump is unwilling to provide: respect, genuine partnership, and investment free from public embarrassment.
Africans have long known that Trump views the American visa as gold and a symbol of power. Trump believes that the visa grants him the right to insult African nations, threaten or enact aid cuts, or even demand silence. To my understanding, Africa is not in a position of desperation. We know our worth. We have and can continue to contribute to the good of the world. Our leaders should outright tell Trump that his act of considering a visa as a crown or a bribe will not work. Africans may choose to liaise with others who understand them. The visa must function as a bridge for mutual cooperation, not a tool for blackmail.
Africa is not deficient. It is abundant. It is not a dumping ground either. Africa offers the world more than can be mined or measured. Africa contributes peace, culture, resilience, youth, and innovation. It also provides rare earth minerals like lithium, uranium, gold, and cobalt—essential resources that power the modern global economy. We must loudly tell Trump that our value stands on its own and does not require validation from him or anyone.
If Trump fails to recognize that we matter by continuing to insult our leaders and ridicule our countries, we must tell him clearly: if he rejects Africa, then Africa will unequivocally reject him.
On this, I urge African leaders to stand firm and never remain silent in the face of a bully. They should not continue craving unproductive and disrespectful handshakes or photoshoot opportunities. They do not need to accept invitations from a leader who perceives Africa’s independence as a threat. They must tell Trump that they do not require instruction from someone who lacks respect for the fundamental principles of diplomacy.
To the American people: we know that you are better than this. We know that Trump does not embody the true spirit of your nation, the country regarded as the land of freedom and opportunity. We also know that America is a nation built by those who arrived on different boats from different parts of the world but found purpose under one flag. Millions of African-Americans live in the U.S. today; they serve in its military, build its institutions, and defend its values. When Trump disrespects African leaders, he disrespects their families, their heritage, and their sacrifice.
We have now realized that Trump does not represent the America we once admired. We can now consider him a symbol of America’s decline, not its greatness.
Finally, we are simply telling him that Africa will not submit to bullies. We have risen in the past, and we will rise again.
Till then, yours truly, Mr. Teetotaler!
The writer, Dr. Sunday de John, holds MBA and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Nairobi, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences and Faculty of Medicine respectively. He is the current Chairman of the South Sudan United Front-Progressive and can be reached via drsundayalong4@gmail.com
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.