President Donald Trump was visibly impressed by how well Liberian President Joseph Boakai spoke English, the official language of the West African country, while visiting the White House on July 9 ...

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, marking the first time in the country’s 248-year history that the ...

President Donald Trump was visibly impressed by how well Liberian President Joseph Boakai spoke English, the official language of the West African country, while visiting the White House on July 9 ...

But, by declaring English the official language, Trump is by no means making America an outlier. In fact, the vast majority of the world’s countries — about 180 — have an official language ...

A version of this article appears in print on March 4, 2025, Section A, Page 15 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump Picked One Language Out of 350 as Official for U.S..

For example, the U.S. Constitution was translated into German and Dutch in 1787 and 1788, languages that were widely spoken at the time, especially in New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

In 2019, according to a Census Bureau report, 67.8 million people in the United States, or around one in five, spoke a language other than English at home, a number that has nearly tripled since 1980.

Yes to English as the Official Language Handing out flags at a naturalization ceremony in Oakland, Calif., in 2013. (Robert Galbraith/Reuters) ...

Most states have made English their official language, and some have even designated "official" status to multiple languages. Hawaii recognizes the Hawaiian language alongside English.