Donald Trump’s insult of Libya has today united all of the country’s political adversaries in their condemnation of him.
Reacting to Trump calling Libya (Yemen, Haiti and Somalia) ‘‘shithouse countries’’ during a political campaign speech yesterday in Georgia, the Tripoli based Libyan government, the Benghazi based Libyan government, the Presidency Council, the House of Representatives, Sadam Hafter and the High State Council – all rounded-on Trump’s insult.
The Benghazi-based ‘‘Libyan Government’’ went as far as to refer to U.S. President Donald Trump as “one of Epstein Island’s visitors”.
Meanwhile, he Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Tripoli based Libyan Government announced that it has summoned the Chargé d’affaires of the United States Embassy in Libya to the Ministry’s headquarters.
The move serves to convey a formal protest against offensive remarks directed at Libya and its people, and to deliver a protest note demanding official clarifications regarding these statements, as well as a correction of their content, it added.
In a statement, the Ministry explained that this diplomatic action is taken in rejection of the remarks made by U.S. President Donald Trump concerning Libya and its people. It reaffirms the Libyan state’s firm stance against any affront to its national sovereignty or the dignity of its citizens.
The Ministry emphasized that Libya, as an independent and sovereign state, categorically rejects any statements that undermine the dignity or standing of its people. It further stressed that it is unacceptable to involve Libya and its people in electoral debates or internal political manoeuvring.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation underscored that mutual respect, the preservation of national sovereignty, and adherence to diplomatic norms constitute the foundational pillars of relations between nations, affirming Libya’s commitment to these principles in the conduct of its foreign affairs. The announcement of this measure by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs follows official Libyan stances rejecting the U.S. President’s remarks.
The Benghazi based ‘‘Libyan Government’’
These include Statement No. (14) of 2026 issued by the Libyan Government, which called on Trump to explicitly retract his offensive statements and offer a clear, formal apology to the Libyan state and its people.
Saddam Haftar
The move also follows a call by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces, General Saddam Haftar, for the relevant authorities to adopt a clear official position and initiate procedures consistent with diplomatic norms and protocols—including lodging a formal protest with the U.S. side and demanding that the offense be addressed in a manner commensurate with its gravity.
The Presidency Council
The Presidency Council, meanwhile, said it: ‘‘categorically rejects the statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump, viewing them as an unacceptable transgression and an affront to the dignity of the Libyan people''.
It said it had ''instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission and convey a formal protest regarding President Trump’s offensive remarks about Libya''.
It added that it will continue to pursue this matter through diplomatic channels until an explicit apology is issued and the statements made by the U.S. President are rectified.
Deputy head of the Presidency Council, Musa Al-Koni also responded to Trump’s insult stating that Libya’s standing is firmly rooted deep in history.
The HoR’s Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation Committee
The Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee of the House of Representatives, for its part, expressed its categorical rejection of the statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding Libya, asserting that they undermine the status of the state and run counter to the principles of mutual respect between nations.
The Committee called upon the U.S. administration to clarify its official position on these remarks, emphasizing its commitment to national sovereignty and affirming that diplomatic engagement does not imply the acceptance of any rhetoric that infringes upon the dignity and standing of the Libyan people.
The High State Council
For its part, Libya’s advisory legislative body, the High State Council, addressed President Trump directly saying:
‘‘Libya cannot be insulted and history does not bow to the arrogant. Libya is not merely a passing word in a political speech, nor is its people a statistic subject to insults. Libya is a nation whose glory was forged by history, with roots that run deep into the foundations of civilization. Its people have paid a heavy price—in blood, security, and stability—yet they remain steadfast in their right to a dignified life and sovereignty over their own land.
The stature of nations is not measured by the wealth of their economies, nor is the value of a people determined by the scales of power. Furthermore, the greatness of leaders is not proven by their capacity to insult others; rather, it is revealed by their respect for the dignity of others.
Let those who believe that power grants them the right to disparage other peoples understand this: nations are not measured by the weapons or wealth they possess, but by the dignity held by their citizens, the history embedded in their soil, and the principled stances preserved in their collective memory''.