Trump botches names of African leaders, makes inappropriate jokes about violence

On Thursday, December 4, during a multinational summit focused on strengthening a peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), former President Donald Trump made a controversial joke suggesting the two nations had been "killing each other," while also mispronouncing the names of the leaders present.

The meeting took place at the newly renamed Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C., where Trump was joined by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. The two African leaders gathered to formalize agreements to expand economic collaboration and to finalize elements of a U.S.-brokered peace accord agreed upon in June but not yet implemented.

During the remarks, Trump repeatedly misstated the leaders' names and commented on their cooperation. "These two gentlemen are very smart and I think they liked each other a lot. I spent time with them," he said, prompting laughter and reactions from the audience. He continued, "Some people may be surprised. I think theyve spent a lot of time fighting each other and now theyre going to spend a lot of time hugging, holding hands, and benefiting economically from the United States."

Gesturing to Kagame and Tshisekedi, Trump added, "Look at them. Look at the way they love each other," drawing applause and laughter from parts of the audience, though Tshisekedi did not react to the remark. Other leaders in attendance included representatives from Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Togo, Uganda, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The Rwandan and DRC conflict has deep historical roots, including major regional wars in 1996 and 2003 and the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which resulted in over one million deaths. Kagame has served as Rwandas president since 2000, while Tshisekedi was elected DRC president in 2018, representing the countrys oldest opposition party.

Despite the Trump-backed agreement, fighting in eastern Congo continued, with clashes reported on the day of the summit. The M23 rebel group, backed by Rwanda, accused government forces of bombing civilian areas. Over 7,000 deaths and more than 450,000 displacements occurred in 2025 alone, as rebels captured key regions rich in minerals.

After the event, Trump told reporters that he expected the conflict to ease "very quickly," calling the two leaders "great leaders" and predicting immediate results from their cooperation.

Trumps comments came shortly after controversial remarks he made about Somalia during a Cabinet meeting on December 2, 2025, criticizing Somali immigrants and calling their country "no good."

Analysis: Trump’s Remarks at the Rwanda-DRC Summit

During the multinational summit on December 4, former President Donald Trump overshadowed a significant diplomatic meeting with remarks that drew attention for their tone rather than their substance. While the summit focused on advancing a U.S.-brokered peace deal between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Trump repeatedly mispronounced the names of Presidents Paul Kagame and Felix Tshisekedi, and made a joke about the historical conflict between the two countries.

Although Trump framed his comments as lighthearted, the statements risked minimizing the ongoing humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo, where fighting continues despite the peace agreement. Over 7,000 deaths and more than 450,000 displacements were reported in 2025 alone, underscoring the urgency of the situation. The M23 rebel group remains active, capturing key mineral-rich regions, and civilian populations continue to suffer.

Trump’s public remarks, combined with his prediction that the conflict would ease “very quickly,” contrast sharply with the on-the-ground realities. While the summit represents an important step toward economic collaboration and the implementation of the June peace accord, the effectiveness of the agreement will depend on sustained engagement from all parties and a focus on tangible security improvements in the region.

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• Trump fumbles African leaders' names, jokes about 'killing each other'