Trump praises ‘proud, resilient’ Libyan people after labeling country ‘terror-infested’

President Trump on Sunday praised Libya’s “proud, resilient” people after calling the African country “terror-infested” at a rally in Georgia.

“The Libyan people are proud, resilient, hospitable, and deserving of peace and prosperity,” Trump wrote on Truth Social . “The United States and Libya share a strong and enduring partnership in combating terrorism, building on our historic success in defeating ISIS in Libya together.”

“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 continued.

The president added that the U.S. is committed to strengthening its relationship with Libya and stands “with the Libyan people as they transition toward successful national elections.”

The post stands in stark contrast to Trump’s comments at a rally in Perry, Ga., stumping for state Republicans, including Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) in his race to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

“Jon Ossoff personally sponsored a bill to bring armies of migrants from terror-infested countries like Libya, Yemen, Haiti, Somalia. Remember what I called them? ‘S—hole countries,'” Trump said, according to Reuters , referring to highly criticized remarks he made during his first term in 2018.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry blasted Trump’s comments at the rally and said they “undermine the dignity of its people or diminish their standing.” The Foreign Ministry also summoned a senior U.S. diplomat to protest Trump’s remarks at the campaign event, Business Insider Africa reported Monday.

The Trump administration has sought to restore a U.S. presence in Libya since the fall of dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 and the subsequent civil war.

The State Department in July informed Congress that it planned to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Libya. There is no active U.S. Embassy in the country, and the State Department has urged Americans not to travel to Libya .

Trump’s original “s—hole countries” comments, said during a meeting about protections for immigrants from several countries, caused a massive stir. The president asked why the U.S. was “having all these people from s—hole countries come here,” according to multiple reports at the time.

The president doubled down on the statement and did not apologize, The Associated Press reported. Lawmakers and world leaders blasted the remark as racist and offensive, with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) confirming he heard Trump make the remark at the meeting. Two Republican lawmakers said they did not recall hearing Trump use the term at the meeting.