Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye used a tried and true method to curry favor with President Trump: shameless flattery.
“I know you are a tremendous golf player. Golf requires concentration and precision—qualities that also make for a great leader,” Faye said during Trump’s meeting of African leaders on Wednesday. “Senegal has exceptional opportunities to offer, including in the area of tourism. So, perhaps an investment could be made in a golf course in Senegal. It would just be six hours by flight from New York, from Miami, from Europe, or from the Gulf, and that would be an opportunity for you to show off your skills on the golf course too.”
Senegal President: I know you are a tremendous golf player. Golf requires concentration and precision, qualities that also make for a great leader. So, perhaps an investment could be made in a golf course in Senegal.. that would be an opportunity for you to show off your skills… pic.twitter.com/FQ80ndwf6z
— Acyn (@Acyn) July 9, 2025
Trump seemed tickled.
“Nice, that’s some way to show off my skills. It’s a long trip to show off my skill. But that’s really nice. And he’s led a very interesting life,” Trump said, responding to Faye. “He looks like a very young person, he’s a little older than he looks. But a fantastic job. He was treated very unfairly by his government, and he prevailed, so congratulations on that.”
Faye, who went from political prisoner in 2023 to the first opposition candidate to win the presidency since 1960, made comments reminiscent of the “luxury jet” that the Qatari government so graciously gifted to Trump (although in that case, Trump asked for the jet first). It’s alarming that the sitting president is susceptible to even the most basic levels of flattery—and that foreign leaders everywhere can tell.
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