Trump claims 1775 revolutionary army 'took over airports'

[dajoki]

Flight of fancy: Trump claims 1775 revolutionary army 'took over airports'
Historical blunder in July 4th speech compounded by mixing up war of 1812 with war of independence
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/05/flight-of-fancy-trump-claims-1775-revolutionary-army-took-over-airports?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVUy0xOTA3MDU%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUS&CMP=GTUS_email

Donald Trump made an awkward blunder during his speech on Independence Day, praising the army, which he said “took over the airports” from the British during the revolutionary war in the late 1700s.

Trump made the mistake during his hour-long speech at the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC as part of his 4th of July “Salute to America” celebrations, which saw him become the first US president in nearly 70 years to address the country on Independence Day.

<<snip>>

During his tribute to the army, Trump said: “In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified army out of the revolutionary forces encamped around Boston and New York … The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware, and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown.

“Our army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rockets’ red glare, it had nothing but victory.”

As listeners were quick to point out, air travel did not occur in the US until early in the 1900s. The Wright brothers, whom Trump praised earlier in his speech, are credited with flying the world’s first plane in 1903.

However, this was not the only historical confusion in this section of Trump’s speech. As astute listeners picked out, the battle of Fort McHenry occurred during the war of 1812, and not the American revolutionary war which took place several decades earlier.

[NewJeffCT]

1. Maybe they can bring back Sarah Sanders

to verify that there were airports in the Revolutionary War

[MoonRiver]

5. And they were the best airports EVAH!

[rpannier]

16. Kelly Ann Conway will tell usd they're his alternative facts

While Tucker Carlson will have on some guy to tell us that the government has been supressing the truth about air travel and its significance in the Revolutionary War

Hell, they do it in ancient alien astronauts

[lapucelle]

2. Plus the Battle of Baltimore (the Fort McHenry reference) was during the War of 1812...

...it took place 15 years after George Washington had died.

[Yavin4]

3. Hey, if you thought air travel is bad today...

try flying in 1775.

[skypilot]

4. I'm sure there was more leg room.

*

[jberryhill]

26. The victuals and ale on board were far superior

[skypilot]

30. And, no doubt, served by...

...a saucy flight-wench.

[Everyman Jackal]

6. Everyone is having fun with this

but if this doesn't show that something is mentally wrong with him nothing will. I have heard him say so really stupid stuff but nothing this bad. He has totally lost it. Definitely has sundowner syndrome.

[Botany]

10. I think somebody or somebodies are planting stupid shit in Trump's speeches just to fuck with him.

BTW "they" went on to start the Super Bowl, Rock n Roll, the musical, R & B, and other things too.

[Botany]

7. Trump, "and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. "

The American army defeated the British @ the Battle of Yorktown. Cornwallis of Yorktown
never existed.

[TheRealNorth]

29. That was probably the most excusable thing he said

Although it wad General Cornwallls, and Cornwallis was going to lose at Yorktown- it was a matter if he was going to escape with his army or not (his escape was prevented by the French Navy, which fought the British Navy off to a draw).

[riversedge]

8. Proof that Trump just makes up Fake stories

[Johnny2X2X]

9. Why is this not the lead story everywhere?

The US President just had a break from reality in public. This was insane and showed he is not OK. Any other President and it’s all the news would be talking about. This was more than misspeaking, this was a mentally unfit President not knowing basic history. He doesn’t know the difference between the War of 1812 and the Revolutionary War. The commander in chief.

[dajoki]

17. The press is missing...

the big picture and they have been for years. We all know that faux is nothing but propaganda, but the other msm, including tv and the newspapers have been really letting us down.

[Johnny2X2X]

19. He's normalized this

This was a man without a grasp in reality. How the media can ignore this is beyond me. No precious President wouldn’t have been questioned for his fitness in every network by now. In fact they would have been breaking into programs with special reports.

What is going on in this country?

[dajoki]

21. And the media is trying...

to normalize him. I just don't get it. How could so many people be falling for this crap?

[area51]

24. +1 n/t

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

11. I'm glad he brought it up-people need to know!

The forgotten Battle of Newark Airport! Right after Washington's troops took over the Molly Pitcher Service Area they marched right up the Turnpike and drove General Howe from his headquarters in Terminal A. It was the occupation of Newark Airport with its commanding view of New York City that led to the British abandoning New York altogether. Also, having access to the food court allowed Washington to feed his starving troops.

[rpannier]

14. You sound like your more knowledgeable about this event than I

is it true that Gen Washington paid for everything with his Master Card
If that is true, I think it should be a commercial

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

15. Yes he did.

That eventually led to a debate about the national debt and borrowing. Little known fact, it was actually the use of credit cards by government officials that led to the rift between Hamilton and Burr that resulted in their famous duel in Weehawkin. Hamilton didn't believe in running up the balance on the national credit card. This is what set us on the path to our trillion dollar national debt today. If only he had just paid cash.

[rpannier]

18. As long as they paid using 20 dollars bills with Jackson's face on it

And the fifties with U.S. Grant

[Ilsa]

12. Little known fact about George Washington:

Link to tweet

?s=19


I’d like to dedicate this Fourth of July to George Washington: the first President of the United States, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and one of the most badass fighter pilots in American history.

22

8:44 AM - Jul 5, 2019

[rpannier]

13. Wasn't that an event that lead to the Bowling Green Massacre?

or was it a response to it
Either way, it's fortunate we took those triplanes and stealth bombers before they could do more damage than they'd already done

[mainer]

20. He did not write this nutty speech

The speechwriter is either incompetent — or is out to get him.

[Yavin4]

23. That's no excuse.

Presidents have to review word for word every speech that they intend to give. We know that Obama did this.

[mainer]

25. My point is, his enemies may be on the inside!

And he’s too stupid to realize

[jberryhill]

27. He has trouble seeing, and does these sorts of improvisations all of the time

Maddow did a piece on this a long time ago. He flubs the words and forges on, sometimes with nonsense phrases, before finding his place again.

The speech, as written however, did conflate the Revolutionary War with the War of 1812, but the "airports" was an obvious addition as he lost his place or focus.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. The written speech would not have said what Trump said.

But because he's lazy, you can bet he didn't read or practice the speech and therefore didn't know beforehand what was in it, so he just read it. But because he's either dyslexic or too vain to wear reading glasses in public (or both), he might have misread it, and because he's stupid, he either didn't know or didn't process the fact that there were no airports for Washington to capture.

[Yavin4]

22. Trump holds an Ivy League degree as does George W. Bush.

Further examples of corrupted systems here in the U.S.