Lesoto shocked by Donald Trump’s remarks that “no one has heard of the country”

The Lesoto government says it is shocked by US President Donald Trump, saying that “no one has ever heard of” the South African nation.

Trump, turning to the US Congress in his first speech after returning to the Oval Cabinet, made a reference as he listed cuts incurred on what he said were wasteful costs.

“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African Lesoto nation that no one has ever heard of,” Trump said, laughing from some US MPs.

A spokesman for the Lesoto Foreign Affairs Department told the BBC that Lesoto enjoys “warm and heartfelt” relations with the United States.

Lesoto is one of the largest beneficiaries of the African Growth and US Act (AGOA), which gives favorable commercial access to some countries to promote their economic growth.

According to the US government, the two countries have traded goods worth $ 240 million (187 million British pounds) in 2024, mainly exports from Lesoto to the United States, more special textiles and clothing.

Foreign Minister of Lesoto Ledzhone mpotjoane said it was “shocking” to hear the head of state “refer to another sovereign state in this way.”

“To my surprise,” the country that no one has heard of “is the country where the US has a permanent mission,” Mpotjoane told the BBC.

“Lesoto is also a member of the UN and a number of other international bodies. The US has an embassy here and (there are) a number of US organizations that we have set here in Masseru.”

Officials rejected Trump’s remarks as “outside the cuff” and “political statement”, adding that they were “unsettled”, taking into account the good relations between the two nations.

“We maintain a lot of warm and heartfelt relations with the United States. They have a mission in Masseru, and we also have (one) in Washington,” Foreign spokesman Kutloo Feco told the BBC.

Pheko failed to confirm Trump’s comments about the funding that went to LGBTQ organizations, saying that since the money went directly to them, they would be best to comment.

Mpotjoane, in turn, confirmed that the country was affected by Trump’s sudden decision to pause to fund help to countries around the world.

Many organizations, mostly non-governmental, were thrown into chaos after the Trump administration constantly ended the US president’s funding for AIDS President as part of the wider striving to reduce the costs of the US government costs.

Pepfar started in 2003 until then -President of the United States, George W. Bush and his finances were distributed through the US Government’s main agency USAID, whose funding has also been reduced.

Lesoto is among those countries that benefit from PEPFAR, his health ministry told the South African edition in February, with tuberculosis and HIV programs among those who receive critical means.

But G -n mpotjoane declined to criticize this decision, saying it was “the US prerogative to reduce the help if they wanted.”