Nigeria’s Ex-Foreign Affairs Minister Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi Tackles Trump Over Inaugural Speech

A former Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has harshly criticized Donald Trump’s inaugural speech, calling it the “worst” he has ever heard in his lifetime.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Akinyemi, a prominent diplomat, contrasted Trump’s speech with that of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address, which he described as one of the best and most inspiring in history. He recalled how Kennedy’s speech had energized him and provided a vision of what leadership should represent on a global scale.

“This is very strange to me,” Akinyemi said. “The first presidential inaugural address that I ever heard was Kennedy’s, which turned out to be the best so far. It gave me a vision of what the most powerful man in the world should stand for. But now, the worst inaugural address I have ever heard in my life is the one I heard today. It wasn’t an inaugural address; it was more like a rabble-rousing speech to a mob in the United States.”

Akinyemi criticized Trump for delivering a speech that, in his view, lacked any global vision and failed to offer hope or a sense of unity. He was particularly dismayed by Trump’s attack on Mexico, suggesting that the “Gulf of Mexico” be renamed the “Gulf of America.” This, Akinyemi argued, was indicative of Trump’s isolationist and combative rhetoric.

“There was nothing in his speech for the rest of the world—nothing that gives us hope or a vision of what to expect in the next four years,” Akinyemi lamented. “It was an address that stripped naked all the achievements of his predecessor while he was sitting there. It was such a cold speech.”

Asked about Trump’s potential impact on Africa, Akinyemi expressed doubt that the continent was even on Trump’s radar. He sarcastically suggested that Trump might not even be able to locate Africa or Nigeria on a map.

“Honestly, I don’t think Trump even knows how to spell ‘Africa’ or ‘Nigeria,’ let alone locate us on the globe. We are out of his focus,” he said. “He’s focusing on the Middle East because Israel is a key partner for him, but the rest of the world, he doesn’t care about. This was not an inaugural address; it was not calling on the world to join him in a venture or adventure to rescue the world.”

Akinyemi pointed out the stark contrast between Trump’s speech and the diplomatic engagement seen in the addresses of past U.S. presidents. He noted how former presidents often used their inaugural speeches to call for global cooperation on critical issues like climate change and economic development.

“The language he used today—was that the kind of speech you expect from a president at an inauguration? It was shocking and depressing for me,” Akinyemi said.

Reflecting on how Kennedy’s speech had shaped his own career in international relations, Akinyemi suggested that if Trump’s speech had been his first exposure to a presidential address, he might never have pursued a career in diplomacy.

“If Trump’s speech had been my first inaugural address, I probably wouldn’t have taken international relations as my focus. I would have chosen something else,” he remarked.

Akinyemi warned that Trump’s isolationist policies, particularly his aggressive stance on tariffs, could backfire, especially in the globalized economy. He explained that tariffs would ultimately hurt American consumers and provoke retaliatory actions from other nations, leading to economic warfare.

“When you impose tariffs on goods coming into your country, it’s your people that will bear the brunt. The businessmen will pass on the cost of the tariff, and the other countries will impose tariffs on your goods as well. This is not the way to promote mutual prosperity; it’s a pathway for economic warfare,” Akinyemi warned.

He further criticized Trump for propagating falsehoods during his campaign, which continued into his inaugural speech. “What we witnessed today was frightening, and Americans should find it frightening too,” Akinyemi stated.

Concluding his remarks, Akinyemi expressed concern for African leaders, particularly President Bola Tinubu, who he suggested would face a difficult challenge in engaging with the Trump administration.

“If you are asking President Bola Tinubu or African presidents to try and fathom a pathway to engage Trump, I would say they’ve got a heavy-duty on their hands,” Akinyemi concluded.

Through this analysis, Akinyemi underscored his deep concern for the direction of U.S. foreign policy under Trump and the potential global ramifications of his isolationist approach.