Donald Trump has a powerful stereotypical way of judging people. Several instances have highlighted how he does not consider anyone with brown skin to be a smart person. Trump is also accused of being discriminatory towards women.
His worldview is limited to how people look, and he associates it with people’s personalities. This has been very visible since he took over office for his second term. He has been entertaining various foreign leaders and meeting foreign press.
Like many people worldwide, Donald Trump considers the British accent very charming. This is due to the Britishers being colonizers. People have a mentality of being fascinated with their rulers. Since America was also under British rule, fascination with the British accent is undeniable.
Donald Trump said he would have been president 20 years ago if he had the “beautiful” accent of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Reporter: You have any plan to change Afghanistan’s situation? Are you able to recognize Taliban?
Trump: It’s a beautiful voice and a beautiful accent. The only problem is I can’t understand a word you’re saying, but. But I just say this. Good luck. Live in peace. pic.twitter.com/lWyq4fuplm
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 5, 2025
When an Afghan journalist asked him a question, he said her accent was “beautiful,” but he didn’t understand. When an Indian journalist asked him a question during a joint news conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he dismissed it entirely. He said he didn’t understand his accent before leaving the room abruptly.
This shows that though Donald Trump was fascinated by the beauty of Afghan journalist, he called her accent beautiful. He didn’t answer her because he didn’t consider her question important enough.
Donald Trump to Indian reporter:
“I can’t understand a word he’s saying.”
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis__) February 14, 2025
However, with Indian journalists, he did not even bother to answer the questions. This could be due to his alleged racist ideology towards people of color.
What makes someone with a “beautiful” accent difficult to understand? Numerous pieces of evidence demonstrate our perceptions of language. These are shaped by our views toward the speakers of that language rather than by any objective standards of beauty or aesthetics.
Accent discrimination is not limited to individuals of color. It also varies by location. People from southern states in the United States have a lot of examples like this.
Having been born and raised in North Carolina, yes, the accent is dead on for the upper class of NC, ESPECIALLY the people with old money. When I watched the first episode I was like OMG, she sounds like my mom 😂 pic.twitter.com/bNLyFFJ5WS
— Jax Persists (@LadyJayPersists) March 14, 2025
Think about prevailing perceptions of the Southern American accent. Some instantly perceive an accent from the deep south as less intelligent than one from Michigan or California. However, accent and intelligence do not correlate scientifically. These assumptions are learned behaviors.
For instance, studies reveal that toddlers as young as five or six years old are unable to distinguish between the northern and southern accents of the United States. With age they begin to adopt the attitudes of the people in their lives. By the time they are ten years old, they begin to believe that speakers with northern accents sound “smarter”. Their opinion of people from the south diminishes.
Our social awareness of a person, their accent, and their origins influences our opinion toward foreign accents. If we have more frequent and favorable contact with people from that area, we are more inclined to find an accent pleasant and worthwhile to learn. Our brain’s difficulty in classifying the many sounds we hear is reflected in our comprehension.
Combining these two, it is simple to understand Trump’s favorable view of European accents. It would reflect the historical prestige attached to them. It also reflects the political clout of leaders like Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
