Yesterday, Trump marked 4th July by stationing military tanks on the site of the Lincoln Memorial, a decision which prompted National Park Service officials to warn that it could damage the site.

He had wanted to roll the tanks through the streets of Washington DC, but was thwarted by engineers who warned the tanks would crumble the city's bridges.

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His "Salute to America" event also featured a flyover by military aircraft including Air Force One and the Navy’s Blue Angels. Despite the pomp and ceremony he had hoped for, some of the images of the event bear more resemblance to Fyre Festival than Bastille day, with crowds huddling under umbrellas thanks to a downpour and intense humidity.

Though Trump resisted rolling out a full campaign speech, likely after anger that he was making a national holiday a partisan event, he attempted to grandstand with a history lesson.



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"In June of 1775," Trump said, "the Continental Congress created a unified Army out of the Revolutionary Forces encamped around Boston and New York, and named after the great George Washington, commander in chief. The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown."

He continued, "Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rocket’s red glare it had nothing but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant."

Not only was there no air travel during 18th Century America (he may as well have praised them for commandeering Uber Jump) but the battle at Fort McHenry that he refers to, and which inspired Francis Scott Key to write national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner", in fact took place during the War of 1812.

Another history masterclass, and one to the tune of an estimated $2.5m cost to taxpayers.

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