Trump's Claim: Americans Seized Airports?

Yes, during a Fourth of July speech in 2019, Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army took over airports during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s. This statement was erroneous, as there were no airports in the 18th century—the first successful flight in an airplane was in 1903. Trump blamed the gaffe on a faulty teleprompter and the rain, which made it hard to read the screen.

Trump claims the Continental Army 'took over airports'

During his "'Salute to America' speech at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 2019, former US President Donald Trump made a historical blunder when he claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s.

In his speech, Trump said:

> "In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified army out of the revolutionary forces encamped around Boston and New York and named after the great George Washington, commander in chief. The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter at 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 statement about airports in the 1770s was factually incorrect, as there was no air travel in 18th-century America. The first successful airplane flight occurred in 1903, more than a century later, by the Wright brothers.

Trump later blamed the mistake on a faulty teleprompter, saying it "went kaput" due to the rain. However, this claim was met with skepticism, given Trump's history of similar gaffes and his previous criticism of President Barack Obama's use of a teleprompter.

Trump blames the gaffe on a faulty teleprompter

On July 4, 2019, US President Donald Trump made a historical blunder during his "Salute to America" Independence Day speech, in which he claimed that the Continental Army "took over airports" during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s. Observers were quick to point out that there was no air travel in 18th-century America, and that the first powered flight took place in 1903.

Trump blamed the gaffe on a faulty teleprompter, claiming that it malfunctioned due to heavy rainfall during his speech. He told reporters on Friday:

> "I guess the rain knocked out the teleprompter. I knew the speech very well, so I was able to do it without a teleprompter. But the teleprompter did go out. And it was actually hard to look at anyway because there was rain all over it."

Trump's explanation, however, did little to quell the frenzy on social media, with many users mocking the president's blunder. The hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports trended on Twitter, with users posting hilarious images and jokes about the gaffe.

This incident was not the only historical confusion in Trump's speech. He also appeared to date the Battle of Fort McHenry to the American Revolution, when it actually unfolded decades later during the War of 1812.

Trump's "Salute to America" celebration, which featured military tanks, war plane flyovers, and a televised national address, drew both supporters and protesters. It also sparked criticism from some who viewed it as inappropriately partisan and a misuse of public funds.

Twitter users mock Trump's statement with #RevolutionaryWarAirports

Twitter users had a field day after then-US President Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolution in the 1770s. The statement, made during his "Salute to America" speech at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 2019, was quickly pointed out to be historically inaccurate, as there was no air travel in 18th-century America. Twitter users took to the platform to mock Trump's statement with the hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports.

• "Manned proof thru the night / that our airports were there." - Writer Mark Harris, playing on the lyrics from "The Star-Spangled Banner".
• "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that the red zone has has always been for loading and unloading..." - U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski, turning a portion of the Declaration of Independence into an airport parking tutorial.
• "Nothing America cannot do with a little help from our friends at the #RevolutionaryWarAirports." - A mock letter from a weary Revolutionary War participant dealing with modern-day airport hassles.
• "I knew the speech very well so I was able to do it without a teleprompter but 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." - Donald Trump, blaming the teleprompter for the gaffe.

Trump's statement and the subsequent mockery it elicited on Twitter highlight the platform's role as a space for comedic relief and political satire. It also demonstrates how social media users can quickly mobilize to create and spread viral content, often with humorous or satirical intent.

Trump's critics claim the event was inappropriately partisan

On July 4, 2019, then-US President Donald Trump gave a speech commemorating Independence Day. During the speech, he made a statement claiming that American rebels had taken over airports during the Revolutionary War in the 1770s:

> "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."

As airports did not exist in the 18th century, this statement was quickly criticised as historically inaccurate. Trump's critics also claimed that the event was inappropriately partisan and a misuse of public funds.

Trump's "Salute to America" event featured military tanks, a heavy rainstorm, and a flyover by the Navy Blue Angels aerobatics team. Before becoming president, Trump had criticised his predecessor, Barack Obama, for relying on an autocue. However, Trump blamed his "airports" gaffe on a faulty teleprompter, saying:

> "I knew the speech very well so I was able to do it without a teleprompter but 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."

Trump's critics pointed out that this contradicted his previous criticism of Obama and that it was not his first historical slip-up.

Trump's other historical blunders

During his "Salute to America" speech at the Lincoln Memorial on 4 July 2019, then-US President Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s. Observers were quick to point out that there was no air travel in 18th-century America. Trump later blamed the gaffe on a faulty teleprompter.

• Mixing up the War of 1812 with the War of Independence: In the same speech where he mentioned airports, Trump appeared to date the Battle of Fort McHenry to the American Revolution, when it actually occurred during the War of 1812, several decades later.
• Lack of knowledge about Abraham Lincoln: Trump has expressed admiration for Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, even claiming that he would be "more presidential" than anyone else except for Lincoln. However, Trump has made several gaffes related to Lincoln. On Lincoln's birthday, he posted a quote on Twitter that was falsely attributed to Lincoln, and he once seemed surprised to learn that Lincoln was a Republican.
• Confusion about Frederick Douglass: During a speech commemorating Black History Month, Trump implied that Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist and former slave, was still alive. Press Secretary Sean Spicer failed to clarify Trump's understanding of Douglass, adding to the confusion.
• Holocaust Remembrance Day omission: During the Trump administration, the White House released an official statement for Holocaust Remembrance Day that failed to mention Judaism or the Jewish people, despite the fact that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

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