The African nation 'nobody has ever heard of': Trump mocks Lesotho as he defends foreign aid cuts

In an address to Congress on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump mocked Lesotho, dismissing it as an African nation “which nobody has ever heard of”.

Speaking to a joint session of Congress, Trump took aim at the allocation of US funds. 

“Eight-million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho,” he said, stumbling over the pronunciation of the country's name.

“Which nobody has ever heard of,” he added, drawing laughter from Republican legislators, including Vice-President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson, who were seen grinning behind him.

Trump's speech, which lasted 99 minutes, marked his first major address to both chambers of Congress since his return to office.

He reiterated his commitment to slashing what he described as a “flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars”, part of his administration's broader effort to reduce federal spending.

Despite Trump's remarks, the US government’s foreign assistance website does not list any financial support specifically for LGBTQ+ rights in Lesotho. Instead, about $120m (R2.2bn) in aid was spent on health and population programmes in the country in 2024, including $43.5m (R800.61m) dedicated to tackling HIV/Aids.

One of the key programmes in Lesotho, Karabo ea Bophelo, received $7.7m (R141.65m) as part of a five-year USAID initiative aimed at preventing new HIV infections and supporting vulnerable children and young women.

Lesotho has made notable progress in LGBTQ+ rights compared with many African nations, as same-sex relationships were decriminalised in 2012. 

During his address, Trump noted the new department of government efficiency, which has been tasked with eliminating wasteful spending, and is headed by billionaire Elon Musk. In his list of budget cuts, Trump cited a wide range of programmes he deemed wasteful, including $22bn (R404.71bn) for housing and cars for illegal immigrants, $60m (R1.1bn) for Afro-Colombian empowerment and $8m (R147.15m) for “making mice transgender”.

Trump’s decision to cut foreign aid is in line with his administration’s goal to reduce inflation by curbing government expenditure.

The US remains the world’s largest donor of foreign aid, spending more than $47bn (R864.47bn) in 2019, with a significant portion allocated to countries recovering from conflict or those deemed strategically important to US interests.

African nations, including Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania, have historically been major recipients of US aid, with 32% of all US foreign aid spent in Africa.

However, Trump’s administration continues to prioritise cutting funds for social programmes at home and abroad in favour of what he describes as more “efficient” government spending.

In defending his cuts, Trump stated: “We must end the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars to combat inflation and focus on priorities at home.”

TimesLIVE