Trump jokes ‘nobody has heard’ of Lesotho

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Tuesday mocked tiny Lesotho as a country “nobody has ever heard of” as he defended his sweeping cuts in aid.

Trump highlighted the landlocked African constitutional monarchy during an address to Congress as he gave a long list of past US aid projects.

“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho,” Trump said, struggling with the pronunciation.

“Which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump added, as Republican lawmakers laughed and Vice President JD Vance and Speaker Mike Johnson grinned behind him.

Lesotho has one of the highest rates in the world of HIV/AIDS, which the US has sought to address by providing medication and other social support, including raising awareness among sexual minorities who face stigma.

The US has committed more than $630 million since 2006 to anti-HIV/AIDS efforts in Lesotho, according to the US embassy there.

The US last year also signed a $300-million deal to promote health and crop production in Lesotho through the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which awards US funding to developing countries that meet standards on democracy and good governance.

The Trump administration on returning to office has canceled more than 90 percent of US foreign assistance, saying it is not in the US interest and that the money would better go to tax cuts.

Under the guidance of South African-born billionaire Elon Musk, Trump has effectively shut down the US Agency for International Development.

Trump in his first term showed little interest in Africa, notoriously being quoted as using an epithet to describe immigrants from the continent.