Give examples of trump’s ignorance about countries and history
ChatGPT said:
Donald Trump has made a number of statements during his political career that critics have cited as examples of ignorance about countries, history, or international affairs. Here are several notable examples:
1. Confusing 9/11 with 7-Eleven
- What he said: “I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen down on 7-Eleven…”
- Context: At a 2016 rally, Trump referred to the 9/11 attacks but mistakenly called it “7-Eleven,” which is a convenience store chain.
2. Misunderstanding the Geography of Ukraine
- What he said: Trump reportedly asked aides, “Isn’t Ukraine part of Russia?”
- Context: This was reportedly said around the time of the first impeachment, suggesting a lack of understanding of post-Soviet geopolitical borders.
3. Finland and Raking Forests
- What he said: “You’ve got to take care of the floors. You know the floors of the forest, very important… I was with the president of Finland and he said, ‘We have a much different—we’re a forest nation.’”
- Context: After devastating wildfires in California, Trump bizarrely suggested that Finland prevents forest fires by raking its forest floors. Finnish people and officials mocked this, as it’s not a common practice there.
4. “Belgium is a beautiful city”
- What he said: “Belgium is a beautiful city.”
- Context: Belgium is a country, not a city. This gaffe occurred in a 2016 interview and reflected basic geographic confusion.
5. Referring to Africa as a country
- What he said: Trump has repeatedly lumped Africa together as though it’s a single country rather than a continent with over 50 nations.
- Example: In 2018, during a meeting, he allegedly referred to African nations as “shithole countries,” suggesting a deep lack of understanding or respect for the continent.
6. Not knowing what happened at Pearl Harbor
- What he said: According to John Bolton, Trump asked his then-Chief of Staff, John Kelly, “What’s this all about? What’s the purpose of NATO?” and did not understand the historical significance of Pearl Harbor during a tour in Japan.
- Context: Critics saw this as showing a lack of historical knowledge of key WWII events.
7. Claiming the Continental Army “took over the airports” in the 1700s
- What he said: “Our Army… manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do.”
- Context: This was said during a July 4th speech in 2019. Airports obviously didn’t exist during the American Revolutionary War in the 18th century.
8. Misstating the capital of Israel
- What he said: Trump frequently referred to Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — which the U.S. officially recognized under his administration — but showed confusion about the issue beforehand, contradicting decades of U.S. foreign policy without seeming to understand the historical complexities of the region.
9. Not knowing the UK is a nuclear power
- Reportedly said: Trump once asked a foreign policy advisor if the UK was a nuclear power.
- Context: This would be surprising, given the UK is one of the five recognized nuclear-armed states.
These examples, taken together, have been cited by critics as evidence of a limited grasp of geography, history, and international affairs. However, Trump’s supporters have often argued that he speaks plainly or intentionally simplifies complex topics for his audience.
You said:
give more examples
ChatGPT said:
Certainly — here are more examples of statements or actions by Donald Trump that have been widely cited as evidence of ignorance about countries, geography, or history:
10. Not Knowing India Borders China
- What happened: In a 2020 interview with Politico, Trump reportedly asked aides why India and China were having border disputes, not seeming to understand that the two countries share a long, contentious border.
- Context: This came during a period of actual military skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops.
11. Thinking Napoleon Took Over Germany
- What he said: According to A Very Stable Genius by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, Trump asked during a tour of historical sites in France:
“Napoleon did a lot of good things, didn’t he?” And then: “What was his end? What happened to him?”
He was reportedly surprised Napoleon lost in Russia and asked why he didn’t just “go there with more people.” - Context: This showed a simplistic or incorrect understanding of Napoleon’s military campaigns and downfall.
12. Not Knowing What the Kurds Were
- What he said: Trump once reportedly asked in a policy meeting, “Who are the Kurds?”
- Context: This happened despite the Kurds being a key U.S. ally in the fight against ISIS. He later abandoned U.S. support for Kurdish forces in Syria in 2019, which shocked U.S. military leaders and allies.
13. “Nambia” Instead of Namibia
- What he said: “Nambia’s health system is increasingly self-sufficient.”
- Context: He said this during a speech at the United Nations in 2017. There is no country called “Nambia”; he likely meant Namibia.
14. Claiming Canada Burned the White House
- What he said: In a call with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau during a trade dispute, Trump reportedly said:
“Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?” - Context: British troops did burn the White House during the War of 1812 — not Canada, which didn’t even exist as a nation at the time.
15. Misunderstanding the Baltic States
- What he said: According to The New York Times, Trump once confused the Baltic nations (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania) with the Balkans, and accused them of starting the wars in the 1990s — which were actually in the former Yugoslavia.
- Context: The Baltic countries were never part of the Yugoslav wars; they were part of the Soviet Union and joined NATO later.
16. Suggesting the U.S. Should Take Iraq’s Oil
- What he said: Repeatedly during and after his campaign, Trump said the U.S. should have “taken the oil” from Iraq after the invasion.
- Context: This would be considered a war crime under international law and reflects a misunderstanding of both ethics and international norms.
17. Thinking Puerto Rico is a Foreign Country
- What he said: Trump often talked about Puerto Rico as if it were a foreign nation:
“This is an island. Surrounded by water. Big water. Ocean water.” - Context: Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory. The comment was widely mocked for its bizarre phrasing and apparent lack of awareness of basic U.S. geography.
18. Misunderstanding the Role of Frederick Douglass
- What he said: “Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice.”
- Context: This comment, made in 2017 during Black History Month, implied Trump did not know that Douglass had died over a century earlier.
19. “We should invade Venezuela… it’s right there”
- What happened: According to reports, Trump repeatedly suggested invading Venezuela, reportedly saying in a meeting:
“They have all that oil and they’re right on our doorstep.” - Context: This showed not only poor understanding of diplomacy but also an overly simplistic view of foreign relations.
20. Saying Korea Was Once Part of China
- What he said: After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump told the Wall Street Journal that Xi “explained to me that Korea actually used to be a part of China.”
- Context: This was a controversial and incorrect claim. It sparked outrage in South Korea and demonstrated a lack of historical nuance.
If you’d like, I can also provide quotes from books by former Trump officials or journalists that offer more details about these incidents — or put them into a timeline to show how they unfolded over his presidency.