President Donald Trump left many people surprised on Friday when he mistook an American flag for a blanket during a bill signing in the Oval Office.
The event was held to celebrate the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, a new law introduced by Tennessee Rep. John Rose. The law is meant to protect Americans by limiting how their personal financial information can be shared and sold.
Rose explained that the bill would make it easier for families to buy homes without dealing with unwanted calls and messages.
After signing the bill, Trump was handed a gift from a constituent in Tennessee. The gift was a folded American flag placed inside a clear plastic bag. Trump looked at it and said, “Oh, I could use that at night.” Rose gave a nervous laugh before correcting him, saying, “It’s an American flag.” Trump quickly nodded and replied, “It’s very nice, I like that. Thank you very much.”
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That confusion over the flag did not end the surprises. Only minutes later, Trump shifted attention again when he told reporters he wanted to change the name of the Department of Defense back to the Department of War.
Trump argued that the United States used to win wars before the name was changed in 1949. “We won the First World War. We won the Second World War. We won everything before that and in between, and then we decided to go woke, and we changed the name to Department of Defense,” he said. His comments once again tied America’s challenges to what he often calls “wokeness.”
Historians and legal experts were quick to respond. They reminded the public that it was Congress, not the president, who voted to change the name more than 70 years ago. They also stressed that only Congress has the power to change it again.
Even so, Trump’s words were a clear attempt to revive his image of being tougher and more aggressive, an image he often leans on with his supporters.
The flag confusion and his talk of “war” came after a difficult week for Trump. Just days earlier, rumors about his death spread online after he stayed out of the public eye for several days. The whispers grew louder until he suddenly reappeared with a string of events leading up to Labor Day, including a high-profile meeting with top Silicon Valley executives at the White House.
Despite those public appearances, questions about Trump’s clarity continued. During the same bill signing on Friday, a reporter asked if he planned to speak soon with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Trump tilted his head and looked puzzled, asking, “What did—what?” It was only after First Lady Melania Trump leaned in and repeated the question clearly—“If you will speak with President Putin in near future”—that Trump finally answered, “I will be, yeah, I will be.”
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
