The foreign minister of Lesotho says it was “disappointing” to hear President Donald Trump say nobody has ever heard of the small African country during his congressional address on Tuesday.
“It is surprising and disappointing that he claimed no one knows Lesotho,” minister Lejone Mpotjoane said on Wednesday, a day after Trump made the dismissive remark that generated a ripple of laughter through the U.S. Congress.
“He should speak for himself and not generalize,” Mpotjoane continued, adding that he believes the president targeted Lesotho because it is not wealthy but warned that one day America may turn to it for support.
During his 100-minute-long-speech, Trump scoffed at his own mention of the landlocked nation, which is encircled by South Africa, querying why the U.S. has foreign aid contracts with the country.
“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said, while Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson cracked smiles from behind the podium.
Lesotho is a longstanding recipient of American financial assistance. For nearly two decades it has received funds through USAID, which sent over $44 million last year.
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When asked about Trump’s comment on promoting LGBTQ2+ rights in Lesotho, the foreign minister said he was not aware of the aforementioned $8 million contract because USAID funding is primarily distributed through non-governmental organizations.
Despite Trump’s nonchalant dismissal of the country’s existence, Elon Musk has close ties to Lesotho.
Musk, who helms the newly coined Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), met with Lesotho’s prime minister Sam Matekane last September to discuss establishing Starlink access for the country’s 2.3 million inhabitants.
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, is Musk’s internet satellite provider and has applied for a licence to operate in Lesotho.
The Lesotho Communications Authority confirmed in February that it had received Starlink’s bid for a 10-year licence.
On Sept. 24 Matekane shared photos taken at a meeting with Musk. “Exciting developments lie ahead,” he wrote.
The company is bidding to win contracts in numerous African countries and is already available across much of the continent, including in Nigeria, Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe.
Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, which is located about 491 km north of Lesotho’s capital, Maseru, where there is also a U.S. embassy.
— With files from The Associated Press
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