Trump, 79, Roasted After ‘Dumb’ Word Salad
The president appeared to conflate the word “adapt” and “adopt” during Thursday’s address.
President Donald Trump stirred up some particularly fervent humiliation from internet users after he made a mess of his words during a public address on Thursday.
While speaking at the signing of an Executive Order entitled “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families”—an initiative organized by the first lady, Melania—Trump rambled about Christians and foster care, struggling to formulate a coherent sentence.
“Christians and more, think of this, more than twice as likely foster care, they’ll adopt the general population,” Trump rambled. “They adopt to it so easily. When they get out, they adopt to it like it’s become second nature. It’s amazing.”
The 79-year-old seemed to have conflated the word “adapt” with “adopt”—likely due to speaking on the topic of foster care—and in the process left himself wide open for ridicule.
“He has confused ‘adopt’ and ‘adapt’ and it’s hard to watch him be so dumb,” wrote X user @RoseBensonDC. “I don’t want to but I guess I’ll adopt.”
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Another user, @Geoff_McGivern, wrote “incoherent, even while reading a prepared text.”
“Trump got ‘adapt’ confused with ‘adopt’ three times today and failed to move one of his arms while attempting to clap,” X user @PalmerReport wrote. “He’s getting worse by the day.”
“So Christians are going to adopt the general population?” X user @TxGrrrl said. “Who’s going to get out and adopt to it like it’s become second nature?”
The White House did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday.
This faux pas is one of many throughout Trump’s second term as president, which have ranged from confusing rants about magnets to falling asleep during press conferences.
Trump—who has often bragged about his “perfect” cognitive test results—and his camp have repeatedly affirmed that his health and mental acuity are not a concern.
However, the conversation surrounding the president’s ability to perform his duties remains a sensitive subject for the administration.
Many have drawn attention to Trump’s right hand, which as of late has been covered with a dark bruising the White House has attributed to the president’s frequent handshaking and taking aspirin as part of a standard cardiovascular prevention regime.
Efforts to mask his hand’s distinct discoloration have included the haphazard slathering of makeup to tactical body posturing, with the president covering his right hand with his left.
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