Nailed it.
There have been a lot of disastrous decisions made by U.S. presidents throughout our country's 243-year history. The Iraq War, Bay of Pigs Invasion, and Benjamin Harrison's protective trade policy that led to the Panic of 1893, first come to mind.
Most of these decisions came knowing there was risk involved, so it'd be wrong to label them dumb — poorly-executed or -thought through would probably be a better way to frame them.
However, on Wednesday September 4, 2019, the world was treated to what has to be the dumbest moment by a president in U.S. history. Donald Trump took a sharpie and altered a map that had the projected path of a deadly hurricane on it, just so he wouldn't lose face over an incorrect tweet.
On September 1, Trump Tweeted that Hurricane Dorian was headed towards Florida and would hit Alabama. The National Weather service corrected the president saying Alabama will not see any "impacts from Hurricane #Dorian" because it will "remain too far east."
In numerous tweets, Trump insisted the hurricane would touch Alabama. When the NOAA created a map of the hurricane that Trump displayed in the Oval Office at a press conference, he added a small bubble to the hurricane path so it looks like it will hit Alabama.
The addition Trump made was a different color than the white path on the map so it was clear it had been altered. Did he actually think people would realize that the mark-up wasn't part of the original map?
While the entire incident should be embarrassing for every American, there was a silver lining to SharpieGate: the memes!
The folks on Twitter responded to SharpieGate by suggesting other ways that Trump can alter history or make good on his failed promises by marking up photos with his Sharpie. Here are 21 of the funniest.
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