Last updated on July 17th, 2023 at 09:42 pm
Donald Trump was up early and tweeting this morning, and making a glaring Palinesque, spelling error in the process – or perhaps it was a hat tip to George W. Bush’s own penchant for invented words (who can forget “misunderestimate”?:
China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters – rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2016
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China unlawfully seized a U.S. Navy drone, an unmanned underwater vehicle or UUV, from the water in the South China Sea on December 15, and a protest has been lodged over Chinese claims it is “appropriately handling” the drone (read: taking it apart).
This is certainly an embarrassment to the United States, but Trump appears to think reacting with either a tragically mispelled word or coining a new one entirely will not make things worse for America’s image abroad.
George Takei first asked for a president who can spell (Barack Obama comes to mind):
Is it too much to ask for a president who can spell? #Unprecedented https://t.co/CzcXtG7PxH
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 17, 2016
Upon further reflection, he added a wish for all lovers of sane, responsible government:
Well, this is a Freudian slip if ever there was one. And yes, we all hope one day soon Trump also will be unpresidented. https://t.co/CzcXtG7PxH
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) December 17, 2016
Frequent Trump critic, author J.K. Rowling was quick to remark on the error as well:
TrumpSpellCheckâ„¢ï¸
Unpresidentedly effective. pic.twitter.com/9leL9aIei1— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 17, 2016
Former Guantanamo chief prosecutor, Air Force Colonel David Morris, had a few things to say as well, mocking Trump with,
.@realDonaldTrump: "I use all of the best words, like 'unpresidented' that's not really a word, but it will be in a Trump administration." pic.twitter.com/UiRKTyW7nm
— Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) December 17, 2016
Before helpfully offering a definition for the newly coined word:
unpresidented — adjective / un-prez-uh-dented — the removal of a president who is unfit.
After his indictment, Trump was unpresidented. pic.twitter.com/yi6jrkmzex
— Col. Morris Davis (@ColMorrisDavis) December 17, 2016
This is all certainly “unpresidented” and in the worst way possible. George W. Bush appears, in comparison to Trump, to have been merely a warning shot across the bow of presidential dignity.
There is absolutely no doubt, after four years of Trump, the United States will again go desperately in search of another president as erudite (not to say, sane) as Barack H. Obama.
Hrafnkell Haraldsson, a social liberal with leanings toward centrist politics has degrees in history and philosophy. His interests include, besides history and philosophy, human rights issues, freedom of choice, religion, and the precarious dichotomy of freedom of speech and intolerance. He brings a slightly different perspective to his writing, being that he is neither a follower of an Abrahamic faith nor an atheist but a polytheist, a modern-day Heathen who follows the customs and traditions of his Norse ancestors. He maintains his own blog, A Heathen’s Day, which deals with Heathen and Pagan matters, and Mos Maiorum Foundation www.mosmaiorum.org, dedicated to ethnic religion. He has also contributed to NewsJunkiePost, GodsOwnParty and Pagan+Politics.
