Donald Trump's Fourth of July celebration, the self-proclaimed 'A Salute to America' couldn't have gone much worse for the president.
As the heavens opened upon, unleashing a torrential downpour on his military-themed event, Trump went on a rambling but non-political speech about America's greatest accomplishments on the battlefield.
However, Trump either doesn't know his history or had trouble reading his teleprompter as he managed to confuse the Revolutionary War with the War of 1812, by making reference to the battle of Fort McHenry, which occurred in September 1814.
Whilst that would have been embarrassing enough for the president, he had previously made mention of American troops 'taking over airports' during the conflict, despite air travel in the US not being invented until the early 1900s.
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 @kendallybrown points out, Trump, while struggling to read in this clip, claims that the American military "took… https://t.co/P8gCxivVZH— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1562282911
Trump's inconceivable double gaffe didn't go unnoticed online as people soon took to Twitter to mock the 'very stable genius' for not realising that planes wouldn't have been invented for another 127 years at that point.
Trump just said the army took over the airports during the Revolutionary War. That’s, um, 127 years before the air… https://t.co/2MTRWROFOH— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel Jollett) 1562286844
Trump is a moron: Trump suggests Americans took over British airports during the revolutionary war... 127 before t… https://t.co/CjILJTSLrm— Young Democrats of America (@Young Democrats of America) 1562286705
"...our army manned the amports (?), it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports..." Trump slurring and the… https://t.co/R1vHqUK5rE— Amee Vanderpool (@Amee Vanderpool) 1562294745
"Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over airports, it did everything it had to do and at Ft.… https://t.co/YL9Wld7yww— Bob Cesca (@Bob Cesca) 1562286617
Trump said Americans seized airports from the British during the Revolutionary War. In fairness, we have to remembe… https://t.co/p6lvSW1fx3— George Takei (@George Takei) 1562297841
Ever the history buff— Trump brags how the Military “took over the airports” during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814… https://t.co/8tG5teqHGe— Ryan Hill (@Ryan Hill) 1562291670
Trump's line quickly became a hilarious viral joke imaging what the battle might have looked like if modern travel had been around at that point in history using the hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories.
Actual footage of the U.S. Army storming the airports during the War of 1812: https://t.co/z4CvvgjvzP— Derek Litvak (@Derek Litvak) 1562291200
Hey @Lin_Manuel, why did you leave the airports out of Hamilton?— drew olanoff (@drew olanoff) 1562292770
@Mikel_Jollett Why would you invent airplanes without having empty airports to put them in? https://t.co/VSqP29Luun— Duncan Jones (@Duncan Jones) 1562295817
🎶And the ampert's red glare Ramparts bursting in there Manned proof thru the night That our airports were there 🎶 https://t.co/TF18xkjgCg— Mark Harris (@Mark Harris) 1562292690
Dearest, the battle for gate C4 was hard fought, but we prevailed. Alas, we ran out of ammunition, and had to lob… https://t.co/A14nb2oIe9— Diane@hpochocolate1 (@Diane@hpochocolate1) 1562294725
National Archives discover new pictures of the War of Independence. #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories https://t.co/dvGaLYQoYE— Acdcnut (@Acdcnut) 1562297883
National Archives discover new pictures of the War of Independence. #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories https://t.co/dvGaLYQoYE— Acdcnut (@Acdcnut) 1562297883
#RevolutionaryWarAirportStories Little-Known Fact: We won because so many British soldiers couldn't fit their musk… https://t.co/ztMVDzfXKP— Really Don't Trump (@Really Don't Trump) 1562297813
Washington at the Battle of Baggage Claim #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories https://t.co/8xBT0xanYx— Helen Kennedy (@Helen Kennedy) 1562299939
Attention Passengers: Due to the recent government shutdown, our in-flight entertainment has been downgraded to two… https://t.co/IzdaGFq7es— Laura E. Hess (@Laura E. Hess) 1562300747
#RevolutionaryWarAirportStories. Actual footage of war plane in 1814. https://t.co/YQD9J2ye0Z— thechairqueen (@thechairqueen) 1562296748
Dearest Martha, Please ensure to pack our socks. We shant ride in the flying carriage whilst having our feet expos… https://t.co/LomzdrrqRd— ᑕᕼᑌᑎK (@ᑕᕼᑌᑎK) 1562285195
Parody war letters about the tribulations of life on the airport battlefields soon began cropping up.
Dear James, We ran out of covfefe near a fortnight ago. We raided the planes’ hospitality carts to no avail. The Re… https://t.co/5G8YPU3dXa— Rizzo “Boostered” Campbell (@Rizzo “Boostered” Campbell) 1562297858
Dearest Martha, please find enclosed a tracking number for my lost luggage at Philadelphia. It shall arrive to Moun… https://t.co/royJxLrsaB— Shawna (@Shawna) 1562298159
Dearest Jebediah, Our flight has been delayed again. Waiting on the tarmac, our supplies of honey roasted peanuts… https://t.co/ScI0j5IIMk— Granny Weatherwax uses Headology on antivaxers 💙 (@Granny Weatherwax uses Headology on antivaxers 💙) 1562298176
Martha, Trying my damndest to make the 5:15 flight out of Philly, but the Valley Forge traffic is a nightmare. Lea… https://t.co/eAldqacH1g— Laura E. Hess (@Laura E. Hess) 1562296729
Dearest Maisie, we are holding the line at Auntie Anne’s near B7. Reinforcements just arrived from Newark, but they… https://t.co/e8cL77TV7h— Anita Creamer (@Anita Creamer) 1562296981
Dearest Martha, After sailing our submarines undetected up the Potomac, we were able to safely dock near the DCA ai… https://t.co/IxgxmxHxW2— Laura Packard (@Laura Packard) 1562300857
My dear Frederick, They continue to hold us prisoner. All we have been given to eat are small portions of miniature… https://t.co/8rtw8Wtnmx— Deb Amlen (@Deb Amlen) 1562295336
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