After all this time, after all the history we’ve learned about pandemics, including details about the Spanish Flu of 1918, Donald Trump still cannot get the date of the last pandemic correct. Once again today during his press conference, Trump referenced the Spanish Flu, and just like he did all spring, Trump said that it happened in 1917 and, just as a bonus brain splat, said that it might well have helped to end … World War II, which ended in 1945.

One of two things must be true. Either Trump is such an asshole that not one person on his staff is comfortable saying, “Hey, boss, that first disease, the Spanish Flu – the one that your grandfather died off? It happened in 1918, and every time you say that it was 1917, you sound like you’re a bit out of it, like the guy with a “Kick me” sign on his back.” No one on Trump’s staff dares to say that to him, that’s one possibility.

Or Trump has some kind of cognitive defect keeping him from absorbing that it is 1918, and not 1917, that is the date associated with the Spanish Flu. Many people on Twitter are now starting to think that only option two explains what we’re seeing.

How is this not an example of some sort of brain problem or dementia? He has repeatedly, on numerous occasions, claimed the Spanish flu was in 1917, not 1918. He must have been corrected dozens of times. He still says 1917. It’s not some sort of politically useful lie. Why do it? https://t.co/EEFifIJxjg

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 10, 2020

Normally, we don’t like to suggest that someone has dementia when we have no evidence, though we’ll report on others saying it. But the Trump campaign keeps saying that Biden exhibits dementia in being unable to determine which city he is standing in, so yes – it is a fair question now. Is this a sign of dementia?

"The closest thing is, uh, in 1917, they say, uh, The Great- the Great Pandemic; & it certainly was a terrible thing where they lost anywhere from 50 to 100 million ppl; probably ended the Second World War, all the soldiers were sick."

-The US President just spoke this sentence

— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) August 10, 2020

The soldiers were sick so we ended the war? https://t.co/EUVeTkvarj

— Devin Nunes’ cow 🐮 (@DevinCow) August 10, 2020

Why would it be unfair to read that sentence back to Trump and ask if he has dementia? Or ask if he’s just that uneducated? Given what he and his campaign have said about Joe Biden.

NEW: in answering a question about whether he would've called for Obama's resignation if 160,000 people had died under his watch, President Trump said the 1917 pandemic "probably ended the Second World War."

World War II ended in 1945. pic.twitter.com/mDH3fudTV6

— Steven Mazie (@stevenmazie) August 10, 2020

1917. Probably ended the second World War.

Trump is literally a functional idiot. Actually, take away the functional part.

— Rachel "The Doc" Bitecofer 📈🔭🍌 (@RachelBitecofer) August 10, 2020

Trump said that the 1917 Pandemic (which actually started in 1918) ended the Second World War (which actually started in 1939).

The next time someone working for Trump questions Joe Biden's mental acuity, I am going to invite them to a Zoom meeting where I laugh for an hour.

— JRehling (@JRehling) August 10, 2020

I remember 1917 – that movie where the soldier ran from the 1918 pandemic to escape WWII pic.twitter.com/U0d7qrVf69

— J-L Cauvin (@JLCauvin) August 10, 2020

Wait, I missed it but did Pumpkin Pol Pot actually say the 1917 flu ended WWII ? Pls someone needs to make this nightmare end. I CAN'T ANYMORE with this level of ignorance and press doesn't even call him out.

— Lee Marie🌊✊🏻✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿 (@LeemarieNy) August 10, 2020

It is now entirely fair to ask. Is it that Trump has no staff member willing to say “1918” to him? Is it that he’s got dementia? Which is it? Because it’s one or the other.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom