Airports And Trump: Snopes Investigation

During a Fourth of July speech in 2019, President Donald Trump erroneously stated that American Revolutionary War troops took over the airports. Airports and military airplanes did not exist until the 20th century, with the first successful airplane flown in 1903. Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the mistake. This is not the first time Trump has made historical blunders in his speeches.

In other news, Snopes investigated a claim that Trump sent his personal airplane to transport stranded troops. It found that while Trump did not personally send his private jet, he did send a plane from his airline fleet to bring home U.S. military members.

Trump's Fourth of July Speech

On July 4, 2019, former US President Donald Trump gave a 45-minute speech commemorating Independence Day. The event was held in Washington, D.C., and included a parade showcasing military tanks and aircraft.

In his speech, Trump praised the American rebels' efforts during the Revolutionary War. He said:

> "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. And when dawn came, their Star Spangled Banner waved defiant."

Trump's reference to airports sparked humorous reactions on Twitter, with people using the hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports to share jokes and altered images of Revolutionary War artwork edited onto photos of airports.

The comment about airports was a gaffe, as airports did not exist during the 18th-century Revolutionary War. The first successful flight of an airplane occurred in 1903. Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the mistake, telling NBC News:

> "The teleprompter went out. It kept going on, and then at the end, it just went out. It went kaput."

Trump blames the teleprompter

During his Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech in 2019, then-U.S. President Donald Trump erroneously claimed that American Revolutionary War troops "took over the airports". Airports and military airplanes did not exist during the Revolutionary War, as the first successful flight of an airplane was in 1903.

Trump blamed a faulty teleprompter for the gaffe, telling NBC News:

> "The teleprompter went out. It kept going on, and then at the end, it just went out. It went kaput."

He also noted that the "teleprompter did go out and it was actually hard to look at anyway because there was rain all over it but despite the rain, it was just a fantastic evening."

The error sparked a flurry of jokes and memes on Twitter, with users creating hashtags such as #RevolutionaryWarAirports and #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories, and sharing humorous images and altered photos of Revolutionary War artwork edited onto airport scenes.

Twitter reacts with #RevolutionaryWarAirports

Twitter users reacted with humour and wit to President Trump's claim that American Revolutionary War troops took over airports. The hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports was born, with people sharing jokes and altered images of famous Revolutionary War artwork edited onto photographs of airports.

> "There are just too many funny #RevolutionaryWarAirports images. Here are some such as the famed 'Battle of LaGuardia' to onward to JFK!#TrumpParadeFail"

Another user, @MollyJongFast, tweeted:

> "Dearest George, We never expect to find ourselves in LaGuardia airport fighting through the TSA line. We prayed hard but never made it to the gate. Remember us fondly. Do not let our struggle be for naught. #RevolutionaryWarAirports"

The hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports is an example of how social media, and Twitter in particular, can be a powerful tool for communication and activism. It can help spread information, coordinate protests, and bring global attention to a cause or issue, as seen in the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests, also known as the Green Revolution, and the 2010–2011 Tunisian Revolution.

In this case, #RevolutionaryWarAirports allowed people to collectively express their surprise and amusement at President Trump's statement, and to share creative and humorous responses.

Trump's Aviation Industry Meeting

On February 9, 2017, President Trump held a meeting with leaders of the aviation industry at the White House. He started the meeting by congratulating the attendees on their achievements and highlighting the significant role of the aviation industry in the US economy, supporting over 10 million well-paying jobs and generating almost $1 trillion in economic activity. He also acknowledged the challenges faced by the industry, including pressure from foreign carriers and outdated infrastructure.

Trump expressed his desire to improve the customer experience for travellers, minimize delays, and reduce costs. He criticized the state of US airports, claiming that they used to be the best but were now "at the bottom of the rung." He attributed this decline to wasteful spending and regulatory issues, specifically calling out the use of obsolete equipment and the inefficiency of the air traffic control system. He suggested that modernizing the system and utilizing GPS-based navigation could reduce travel time and fuel consumption.

The President also discussed the high regulatory burden on the industry and his plans to roll back unnecessary regulations and lower taxes for businesses. He mentioned his recent meeting with the auto industry and their plans for significant investments in various states. Trump sought suggestions from the attendees on how his administration could support their goals, create more jobs, and enhance their competitiveness in the global market.

During the meeting, Trump proposed that a non-profit corporation, headed by representatives from various constituents, could effectively manage and finance the air traffic control system. He emphasized the urgency of implementing these changes, stating that World War II was won in less time than it was taking to modernize the system. He also expressed his intention to improve ground infrastructure, including airports and trains, and his commitment to making air travel more efficient and cost-effective for Americans.

Trump's history of historical blunders

During his 2019 Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech, President Trump made a historical blunder when he stated that Continental Army troops "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s. This statement sparked a series of jokes and memes on Twitter, with people imagining what #RevolutionaryWarAirports might have looked like. Trump later blamed the mistake on a faulty teleprompter.

This was not the first time Trump had made historical blunders during his presidency. In 2017, he claimed that Andrew Jackson, who died 16 years before the start of the Civil War, could have prevented it. During a 2018 phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, he referenced the War of 1812 and asked, "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?"—confusing Canada with Britain, who were actually responsible.

In addition to these historical gaffes, Trump has also made inaccurate statements about his own past. For example, in 2016, a story circulated that Trump had sent his personal airplane to transport 200 stranded U.S. Marines home after Operation Desert Storm in 1991. While it was true that the Marines returned home on a plane marked "Trump", it was not his private jet but rather a plane from the Trump Shuttle fleet, which was owned by a group of banks at the time due to Trump's financial troubles.

Trump has also made controversial statements about his plans for the aviation industry. In a 2017 meeting with aviation industry leaders, he criticized the "bad equipment" provided by airports and the "wrong type of equipment" being installed by the government. He also expressed his desire to modernize the country's "obsolete plane system, obsolete airports, [and] obsolete trains."

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