President Donald Trump is heading to North Carolina today to survey the damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, which has claimed the lives of 37 people.
Ahead of his trip, the president praised the first responders and people who live in the areas affected in a video posted to his Twitter account. However, Trump’s description of the hurricane being one of the “wettest” storms in history “from the standpoint of water” caught the eye of many Twitter users.
“This is a tough hurricane,” the president said in the video. “One of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water. Rarely have we had an experience like it. It certainly is not good.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 18, 2018
In the video, Trump also thanked FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the military for doing “such a great job with a very difficult situation.”
While some Twitter users were perplexed by the way the president described the hurricane, others mocked it by placing it against other notable quotes from past presidents like John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Others couldn’t believe that “one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water” made it past editing by administration staffers.
“One of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water."
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 19, 2018
When you're trying to finish an essay and you need to hit that word count https://t.co/exAlDSiMXw
LINCOLN: "Government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."
— JohnnyGoodtimes on threads (@JohnnyGoodtimes) September 19, 2018
KENNEDY: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country!"
TRUMP: “It’s one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water.”
https://twitter.com/LilyBLawson/status/1042405110809350145
For future books on memorable presidential quotations, we must not forget: "“This is a tough hurricane, one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water.” https://t.co/iWHxZvmJ2C
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) September 19, 2018
https://twitter.com/Juan_Guzman1228/status/1042324900956913664
https://twitter.com/DavidDTSS/status/1042384053465493504
“One of the wettest we’ve ever seen…from the standpoint of water.” -Donald Trump
— ElElegante101 (@skolanach) September 19, 2018
**THIS HAS BEEN ANOTHER EPISODE OF DUMBSH!T AQUAMAN** pic.twitter.com/Btny5mXfdz
https://twitter.com/jchaltiwanger/status/1042206341996179456
Hire. A. Speechwriter.
— Toby Ziegler (@Toby_Ziegler) September 19, 2018
"…one of the wettest we've ever seen from the standpoint of water."
Oh, really?
The video was pre-recorded. They could have re-shot, but didn't. That means this incoherent mess was Trump's most articulate take. https://t.co/3DOViVwKKL
How does “one of the wettest we’ve ever seen from the standpoint of water" make it into the final draft of the script?! It's a pre-recorded video! At least 15 people saw this, heard this line, and said "you know what, that's fine. Just leave it in." https://t.co/OMr2rwUYtX
— Jordan Aschwege (@derschwigg) September 19, 2018
As part of the president’s trip today, he will visit Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where NPR reports he will meet with officials in a roundtable briefing.
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