President Trump blamed Canada for burning down the White House during the War of 1812 during a phone call with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, CNN reports
During a tense phone call with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the recent imposition of tariffs on Canadian metals, President Donald Trump blamed Canada for burning down the White House during the War of 1812, CNN reported.
CNN’s chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta said the exchange took place on Wednesday when Trudeau asked Trump how he could justify the tariffs as a national security issue. In response, Trump joked to Trudeau: “Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?”
However, as many gleeful Twitter users were quick to point out, the incident in question was actually committed by British troops in 1812, who targeted Washington in retaliation to an American attack on York, Ontario, which was then a British colony.
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VoteVets pointed out that visitors learn this piece of historical knowledge during tours to the White House, while students also learn about the War of 1812 in grade school.
Greg Olear, the founding editor of The Weeklings, said Trump’s comments came on the anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops — including Americans and Canadians — invaded Normandy during World War II.
Activist and author Amy Siskind argued that Trump’s comments were only the latest in the series of factual inaccuracies supported by the Trump administration.
Representative Ted Lieu told Trump that Canada should not be considered a national security threat.
Below are more tweets clowning POTUS for his factual flub:
