Donald Trump’s attempt to explain the Battle of Gettysburg took some strange verbal detours ― and his critics were quick to call him out over it.
“Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was. The Battle of Gettysburg,” the former president said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday. “What an unbelievable ― I mean, it was so much and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways.”
Trump continued:
“Gettysburg. Wow. I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch. And the statement of Robert E. Lee ― who’s no longer in favor, did you ever notice that? No longer in favor ― ‘Never fight uphill, me boys, never fight uphill.’ They were fighting uphill. He said, ‘Wow, that was a big mistake.’ He lost his great general, and they were fighting. ‘Never fight uphill, me boys!’ But it was too late.”
The ramble was made even more surreal when someone just over Trump’s left shoulder began making odd faces midway through:
Trump goes on a weird rant about the battle of Gettysburg and then notes of Robert E Lee that "he's no longer in favor. Did you ever notice that?" pic.twitter.com/hs9GjmCh6K
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 14, 2024
Trump has been prone to verbal gaffes, stumbles and miscues, especially lately.
But even critics on X, formerly Twitter, were left perplexed by his attempt to describe one of the most famous battles in American history:
This is the part where Trump does a mash-up of the Civil War and Pirates of the Caribbean. https://t.co/H8aszJvzwF
— Heather Thomas (@HeatherThomasAF) April 14, 2024
Trump: "Gettysburg! Wow!"
What a dimbulb.— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 14, 2024
So @realDonaldTrump Gettysburg was "Beautiful" and "it represented such a big portion of the success of this country." Really?
Oh and "Robert E. Lee is no longer in favor"! Do you know why he is no longer in favor? Because he was a damn insurrectionist! On June 7, 1865, Robert E.… https://t.co/VUxRNPfLjR— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) April 14, 2024
His utter stupidity has always amazed me more than his psychopathy. https://t.co/X3pU976ln6
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) April 14, 2024
Trump: Gettysburg, what an amazing, horrible, just incredible, classy, terrible thing, really beautiful. I kinda went there, but had the wrong address. Robert E Lee a war hero that wasn’t captured, loser on the hill, but we miss him, really a great guy, believe me https://t.co/CZ0ABdwk1s
— Jared Moskowitz (@JaredEMoskowitz) April 14, 2024
Trump, in his bizarro history lesson, has Robert E. Lee saying to his troops "Never fight uphill, me boys," as if he was the Lucky Charms leprechaun. https://t.co/vpkYzPTUsI
— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) April 15, 2024
“I go to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to look and to watch”
I wish more people would note how frequently Trump says simple sentences with simple words that are still so utterly crazy that no one in history has ever said them before https://t.co/5bqRXHuFhY
— Roger Sollenberger (@SollenbergerRC) April 15, 2024
Trump just gave his own Gettysburg Address. It was incoherent. https://t.co/3G04VaIF3b
— davidrlurie (@davidrlurie) April 14, 2024
The man's brain is mush. Imagine thinking this demented buffoon should become the president of the United States. https://t.co/y6FvYJdr4v
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 14, 2024
If we asked Trump which General led Pickett’s Charge at Gettysburg, is there any chance he would give the right answer?
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 14, 2024
Civil War historian here anyone who is a fan of the Confederate traitor and enslaver Robert E Lee should not ever be the President of the United States. https://t.co/SkcA8MoL2H
— Manisha Sinha (@ProfMSinha) April 14, 2024
Guarantee this is the totality of what Trump knows about Gettysburg https://t.co/p6D2M48QWW
— Greg Pinelo (@gregpinelo) April 14, 2024
“Never fight uphill, me boys.” Was Robert E Lee an Irish pirate? https://t.co/OVCxH0IuSD
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) April 14, 2024
Trump is one of those idiots who asks Gettysburg park rangers if the monuments were there during the battle.
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) April 14, 2024
Donald Trump always talks about history (or, well, *anything*) like a fourth-grader doing a book report on a book he didn’t read.
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) April 14, 2024
