Once again, Twitter thinks President Trump is confused about history — this time, regarding the Panama Canal.
During a White House meeting on Monday with Panamanian president, Juan Carlos Varela, Trump took time to praise the landmark waterway, USA Today reported.
In a short video provided by the White House, Trump can be heard saying, “The Panama Canal is doing quite well. I think we did a good job building it.” President Valera then slyly responds with, “Yes, one hundred years ago.”
There’s some slight confusion about what exactly the POTUS meant by “we.” Though he was likely referring to the U.S. government — which approved construction for what is now the Panama Canal on June 19, 1902 — Twitter users seemed to think Trump was personally taking credit for the canal’s construction. Here are some of their bewildered reactions:
In response to the Bowling Green Massacre, President Andrew Jackson hired Donald Trump to build the Panama Canal to keep out the Australians
— Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) June 19, 2017
LISTEN TO THE SHADE
Trump: We did a great job building the Panama Canal, right?
President Varela: Yeah. 100 years ago. https://t.co/czhEgOiIxZ
— April (@ReignOfApril) June 19, 2017
Breaking: Trump takes a break from taking credit for all of Obama's accomplishments and instead takes credit for building the Panama Canal.
— Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) June 19, 2017
Trump just took credit for building the Panama Canal.
Now he's pissed off the ghost of Teddy Roosevelt.— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) June 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/KevinLankes/status/876831643792805890
Amidst all the confusion circulating the Twitter-sphere, one user, @CollinRugg, makes an important point:
https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/876856321936506880
If by “we,” Trump actually meant the U.S. government, he wouldn’t be wrong. Although other countries (like Great Britain and France) had shown interest in building a canal through Central America, the waterway known today as the Panama Canal was approved by and constructed under president Theodore Roosevelt’s administration, says the Office of the Historian.
Of course, that was 115 years before Trump became president.