The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Donald Trump has blamed a faulty teleprompter and wet weather for claiming the 18th century had airports during his Independence Day speech.

The US president told his rain-soaked audience that the Continental Army fighting British soldiers in the late 1700s 'took over the airports' during the Revolutionary War.

Observers were quick to point out aeroplanes hadn't been invented yet and that airports did not exist until the 20th century.

In response to the mistake, people taken to social media to make sarcastic posts with the hashtag #RevolutionaryWarAirports.

(Image: Getty Images)

One user renamed the war as 'the Battle of Baggage Claim' which features George Washington and his soldiers waiting in front of the baggage belt.

Another one photoshopped Washington in a fighter jet whilst some others placed an aeroplane above the Revolutionary War battle scene.

One Twitter user suggested that Ivanka Trump could be in the 18th century meeting 'discussing maintaining control of the airports' with Washington.

But the US president said the slip-up was due to technical failure.

He told CNN at the White House: "It kept going on and at the end it just went out. It went kaput.

"That's not a good feeling when you're standing in front of millions and millions of people. I guess the rain knocked out the teleprompter."

Trump did not apologise and insisted the he could memorise the speech.

He added: "I knew the speech very well so I was able to do it without a teleprompter. And it was actually hard to look at anyway because it was rain all over it.

"But despite the rain that was just a fantastic evening."

Trump has previously slammed former president Barack Obama of relying on teleprompters.

And two years ago, he criticised Hillary Clinton of her 'bad performance' during a speech when she 'read poorly from the teleprompter'.