Trump's Airport Remarks: A Controversial Legacy

During his Salute to America speech on July 4, 2019, President Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army took over the airports during the American Revolutionary War. This statement, which Trump later blamed on a faulty teleprompter, was widely mocked, as airports and military airplanes did not exist until the 20th century. This was not the first time Trump had made history-related errors during his presidency.

Trump claims Continental Army 'took over airports' in the Revolutionary War

During his "Salute to America" speech on the Fourth of July in 2019, President Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" from the British during the American Revolutionary War. Specifically, he 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. 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."

However, as many viewers were quick to point out, this statement is historically inaccurate as airports and military airplanes were not invented until the 20th century. The first powered flight of an airplane is officially credited to the Wright Brothers, who accomplished their feat in 1903. Trump himself praised the Wright Brothers earlier in his speech.

Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the gaffe, claiming that technical problems led to his remarks about the Continental Army securing airports during the Revolutionary War.

Trump blames the teleprompter for the gaffe

During his "'Salute to America' speech at the Lincoln Memorial on July 4, 2019, US President Donald Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War in the 1770s. This statement was quickly pointed out to be ahistorical, as there was no air travel in 18th-century America. Airports and military airplanes were only introduced in the 20th century, with the first powered flight officially recorded in 1903.

Trump, who previously mocked his predecessor Barack Obama for using teleprompters, attributed the gaffe to a technical issue with the device. He explained that the heavy rain during his speech caused the teleprompter to malfunction, saying:

> "I do the speech very well, so I was able to do it without a teleprompter, but the teleprompter did go out... I guess the rain knocked out the teleprompter. But no, it's not that. I knew the speech very well. I was able to do it without a teleprompter. But the teleprompter did go out. It was actually hard to look at anyway because there was rain all over it. But despite the rain, that was just a fantastic evening."

Trump's "Salute to America" celebration featured military tanks, warplane flyovers, a televised national address, and two firework displays. The event was criticized for its cost and perceived partisanship, with reports indicating that millions were diverted from other federal agencies to cover the expenses.

Twitter users mock Trump's airport comments

Twitter users were quick to mock President Donald Trump after he claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" from the British during the American Revolutionary War in his Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech. Airports and military airplanes, however, are a 20th-century invention, with the first powered flight of an airplane officially recorded in 1903.

Trump, who had previously mocked his predecessor Barack Obama for using teleprompters during speeches, blamed the gaffe on technical difficulties with the device. He claimed that the "teleprompter did go out," but that he was "able to do it without a teleprompter."

Twitter users responded with comical parodies in the form of letters written by Revolutionary War soldiers about their airport woes, using hashtags like #RevolutionaryWarAirports and #RevolutionaryWarAirportStories. One tweet, titled "The Battle of Baggage Claim (1776)," described the loss of lives and bags as "the worst massacre."

This is not the first time Trump has been mocked by Twitter users for his comments on aviation. In January 2018, he took credit for the safest year on record in commercial aviation, tweeting, "Since taking office I have been very strict on Commercial Aviation... Good news - it was just reported that there were Zero deaths in 2017, the best and safest year on record!" Twitter users questioned what he meant by being "very strict" and asked what specific actions he had taken to improve airline safety.

Trump praises the Continental Army's military efforts

During his Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech, President Trump praised the Continental Army for their military efforts in the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain. Trump stated that the Continental Army "took over the airports" from the British during the conflict.

Trump's exact words were:

> "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. 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."

However, Trump's remarks about the Continental Army "taking over airports" during the Revolutionary War were met with confusion and mockery. Many people pointed out that airports and military airplanes did not exist until the 20th century, with the first powered flight of an airplane officially recorded in 1903 by the Wright Brothers. Trump's error sparked comical parodies on Twitter, with users writing satirical letters from the perspective of Revolutionary War soldiers about their fictional airport experiences.

Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the gaffe, stating that technical issues caused him to make the inaccurate statement.

Trump's other historical errors

During his Fourth of July "Salute to America" speech in 2019, President Trump claimed that the Continental Army "took over the airports" during the American Revolutionary War. This statement, which was part of a tribute to the army, was met with confusion and amusement by many listeners, as airports and military airplanes did not exist during the 18th-century conflict. Trump later blamed a faulty teleprompter for the error, but this did not stop the incident from sparking a wave of satirical responses on Twitter.

This incident was not the first time Trump had made historical errors during his time in office. Here are some examples of his other notable blunders:

• The American Civil War and Andrew Jackson: In 2017, Trump claimed that Andrew Jackson could have prevented the American Civil War, which took place from 1861 to 1865. However, Jackson died in 1845, 16 years before the war began. Trump made this statement despite the fact that Jackson owned slaves and supported slavery, a key issue in the Civil War.
• The War of 1812 and the Burning of the White House: During a phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2018, Trump reportedly asked, "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?" referring to the War of 1812. However, it was actually British troops who burned the White House during that conflict.
• The Battle of Fort McHenry: In the same 2019 speech where he mentioned airports, Trump claimed that the Battle of Fort McHenry took place during the American Revolutionary War. However, this battle actually occurred during the War of 1812, several decades later.
• The Naming of the Continental Army: Also in the 2019 "Salute to America" speech, Trump stated that the Continental Army was "named after the great George Washington, commander in chief." However, this is incorrect; while the army was indeed commanded by George Washington, it was not named after him.

Frequently asked questions