President Donald Trump looks up during the military flyovers at the Independence Day celebration in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Photo / AP
President Donald Trump looks up during the military flyovers at the Independence Day celebration in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Photo / AP
US President Donald Trump's Fourth of July speech at the Lincoln Memorial was a surprisingly scripted affair, well-received by the crowds gathered at the sodden Washington event.
But a reference to "airports" and a number of additional historical inaccuracies have bemused commentators around the world.
In his 'Salute to America'speech on America's national holiday Trump mistakenly rewrote history when he declared troops during the British revoltionary war of the late 1700s were able to take the "airports".
"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 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."
Trump's first error was that the continental army was named after the Continental Congress and not Washington - who did serve as commander in chief.
But listeners were quick to point out the bigger mistake - that air travel didn't occur in the US until the 1900s. The Wright brothers, whom Trump praised earlier in his speech, are credited with flying the world's first plane in 1903.
This was not the only historical confusion. The battle of Fort McHenry occurred during the war of 1812, and not the earlier American revolutionary war, and the phrase "under the rockets' red glare" is generally associated with the 1812 conflict as well.
People quickly shared clips of the video and criticised Trump's error.
"Trump just said the army took over the airports during the Revolutionary War. That's, um, 127 years before the airplane was invented, one Twitter user wrote.
Kendally Brown added: "LOL Trump just said the army took over the airports during the Battle of Valley Forge, more than 120 years before the first air flight."
Other users shared funny memes and gifs of early planes in history.
Another user said: "Trump's memory of the War Of 1812, you know with airports and airplanes!? Wow."
Appearing to have some reading trouble, Trump said that the army "took over the airports" during a part of his speech about its actions in the 1700s and early 1800s, when there were not airports or airplanes. pic.twitter.com/fgr8rXBGnD
Watching Trump’s speech, my son turns to me and said “did he say airports? Does he think they had airports in the 1700s?” My son is 11! #TrumpParadeFail
— Nat Gertler, of course (@NatGertler) July 5, 2019
"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 airports." - President Donald Trump, 4th of July, 2019. pic.twitter.com/R1CLRMgBJR
In honor of those glorious airplane pilots at the Battle of Valley Forge, here is a direct quote from G. Washington himself! Thank you, Donald Trump, for reminding us how the good ol’ USA’s Continental Army took the British airports in the Revolutionary War! #TrumpParadeFailpic.twitter.com/8FDvsJopax
— William Throcktopus (@GameOfThrocks) July 5, 2019
