Libya Summons U.S. Envoy Over Trump's 'Terror-Infested' Rally Remark; Trump Says the U.S. Respects Libyans
Libya's foreign ministry summoned the U.S. charge d'affaires on Sunday to protest remarks President Donald Trump made at a campaign rally, which the ministry called "offensive," after Trump described the North African country as "terror-infested," Reuters reported.
What Trump Said About Libya
At Saturday's rally in Perry, Georgia, Trump said that Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia "personally sponsored a bill to bring armies of migrants from terror-infested countries like Libya, Yemen, Haiti, Somalia," according to Reuters. Trump then repeated a vulgar term he used for such countries during his first term, Reuters reported.
Ossoff is seeking re-election this year. At the same Perry rally, Trump announced plans for an Audi plant in Macon, Georgia, The Digital Free Press reported.
Libya's Response
The ministry said it rejected any statements that "undermine the dignity of its people or diminish their standing," according to Reuters.
Libya's rival administrations in the east and the west both denounced Trump's remarks, rejecting attempts to draw Libya into what they called "electoral debates," Reuters reported.
Trump's Follow-Up Post
In a Truth Social post Sunday night, Trump said the U.S. was committed to ties with Libya and called its people "proud, resilient, hospitable, and deserving of peace and prosperity," according to Reuters.
"We respect the Libyan people and the sacrifices that brave Libyans made fighting ISIS, the common enemy of both our peoples, but Libya cannot remain a corridor for illegal migration, and this must end now," Trump wrote, Reuters reported.
Images: Dath al-Imad towers, Tripoli (file photo), Gary Denham, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0; Martyrs' Square, Tripoli (file photo), Foreign and Commonwealth Office, via Wikimedia Commons, Open Government Licence v1.0.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Reuters, via Internazionale, "Libya summons US envoy to protest at Trump remarks" (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.internazionale.it/ultime-notizie-reuters/2026/10/26/libya-summons-us-envoy-to-protest-at-trump-remarks ; Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/libya-summons-us-envoy-protest-trump-remarks-2026-10-26/ ; The Digital Free Press, "Trump Announces Audi Plant in Macon, Georgia, at Perry Rally" (Oct. 25, 2026): https://www.thedigitalfreepress.com/post/trump-audi-4-2-billion-plant-macon-georgia-perry-rally
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