Donald Trump’s administration was hosting a summit that included five African leaders, and the way he chose to address one of them has left a bad taste in the mouths of some observers. The five African countries represented were Gabon, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mauritania. Trump had already previously shown — mostly through his decimation of USAID — that his administration would focus on trade instead of aid. This was, surprisingly, well received in most African countries. There was an overwhelming populace who believed the overreliance on aid had harmed their industries, which never had the opportunity to fill the gaps covered by aid programs. That’s until they met Trump. There was already a rather established trend that Trump tends not to take world leaders seriously enough to treat them with respect — unless they’re Vladimir Putin. But with African leaders, it has often been a shocking level of contempt. The last time he held such a summit, he asked the Liberian president where he learned his English from — as a weird compliment. This time around, the President of Mauritania was trying to negotiate with Trump, explaining which specific rare earth minerals they planned on bringing to the table. That’s when Trump cut him off, saying, “…We’re going to have to go a little bit quicker than this. If you could just say your name and your country, that would be great.” Apparently, Trump had more pressing things on his schedule and simply had no real time to spare. In the comment section, people did not take the gesture too kindly. One X user noted that Trump had called out leaders like the Ukrainian president simply for not wearing a suit — only to be this unprofessional himself. Another reminded people what Trump once called African countries and hypothesized that he was probably late to golf or something else unimportant. One said, “Spoke like a true dictator.” Trump cuts off President of Mauritania, suggests African leaders speed it up while addressing him:'…We're going to have to go a little bit quicker than this. If you could just say your name and your country that would be great.'pic.twitter.com/ChrsCFyOSW— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) September 19, 2025 Is anyone surprised? Shithole countries, remember? Not to mention, it's delaying his golf weekend. What a national disgrace that man is.— Grandma Politics (@GPolitics51970) September 19, 2025 Spoke like a true dictator full of hate & racism— Marlon Brando – The Godfather (@MadhurKapoor12) September 19, 2025 Ultimately, the rare earth minerals found in these countries are actually useful and vital to the global economy. Trump might unfortunately not have time for these leaders or what they have to say. But the industry figures in his orbit certainly need the minerals for their companies. Furthermore, right after the African leaders leave the White House, they’ll probably head to China and perhaps Europe for better deals. These leaders were at the White House to ensure their nations could form a bloc and offer the US a partnership — one where their minerals could be exploited while still providing employment to their own citizens. Trump, on the other hand, slapped tariffs on these countries and insisted he needed to make personal deals with each one of them. This is quite a unique way of showing them that their role in the partnership will be taken seriously. Ultimately, in the global economy, we all need each other. It’s not just about beating China’s economy through strategy and deals; it’s about creating an environment where people want to do business. Currently, having to go to the White House to discuss anything with Trump is turning into a humiliation ritual for world leaders. Soon, those who can avoid it — will.