President Donald Trump misspoke on Saturday, calling the wildfire-ravaged town of Paradise, California “Pleasure” on camera.
The president visited the state of California over the weekend, observing the damage of three historic wildfires. In the last week, he has taken a lot of criticism for his response and his rhetoric surrounding the disasters, but this weekend he was mocked for completely misremembering the name of one of the worst-hit towns.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“What we saw at Pleasure, what a name right now,” he said in a video published by CBS News. “But what we saw, we just left Pleasure–” at that point, the crowd of reporters and White House aides cut in to correct the president.
“Or Paradise,” he said quickly. “And what we just saw at Paradise is just — it’s just not acceptable.”
President Trump was trying to make a point about the scope of the disaster, saying that people watching around the country likely did not understand the full effect of the fires.
“You’re watching from New York, or you’re watching from Washington, D.C., and you don’t really see the gravity of it,” the president said. “I mean, as big as they look on the tube, you don’t see what’s going on until you come here.”
The quote was met with jokes, disdain and genuine concern as it circulated on social media. Many people suggested that the president is showing signs of dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, as his word recollection and other faculties show signs of decline.
Others took the mistake as a sign of disrespect. The president’s response to the wildfires has mostly focused on where to place the blame, going after state agencies and forest maintenance. Many commenters have expressed that they feel his condolences for those affected has been minimal and often delayed, which many pundits are assuming has to do with his disdain for the entertainment industry.
“Trump has no interest in even pretending to have a passing interest in what happens to California,” one person wrote, “or anything that does not directly benefit him.”
He displayed more intensity and interest when he spoke about that piece of chocolate cake, then this devastation in CA.
— cindy kahn (@cindykahn1) November 19, 2018
“He displayed more intensity and interest when he spoke about that piece of chocolate cake, then this devastation in CA,” added another.
Meanwhile, many are still saying that the president wants to keep the focus on quotes like these to distract from more scandalous personal stories. He finally gave an interview with Robert Mueller for the Special Counsel investigation last week, and there is a good chance that his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. could be indicted soon.
The president himself has had some fiery words for Mueller, the investigation and the Democratic party on Twitter this week, as California struggles to rebuild.
