Trump announces sanctions against Iranian leader who's been dead 30 years
Trump addressed a dead world leader in an Oval Office video.
Trump announced on Monday that the United States will be imposing sanctions affecting Grand Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran, who has been dead for three decades.
“The assets of Ayatollah Khomeini and his office will not be spared from the sanctions,” Trump said in the Oval Office. A clip of the announcement was also sent out, uncorrected, by the official White House Twitter account.
Khomeini died in June of 1989. He was born in September of 1902 and if he were somehow still alive he would be 116 years old and in contention for the oldest person alive.
The current Grand Ayatollah of Iran is Ali Khamenei. He is 80 years old.
The deceased world leader joins 19th century abolitionist Frederick Douglass on the list of figures Trump has ignorantly spoken about as if they are still alive.
In 2017, Trump hailed Douglass, who died in 1895, as “an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more.”
If the Ayatollah mix-up (amidst growing concerns of military action) was about pronunciation, it joins other phrases Trump has mangled.
Trump has repeatedly struggled to pronounce simple words. He said “origins” was “oranges.” He turned “anonymous” into “anonomus.” President Ulysses S. Grant became “Ulucious” in Trump’s mouth. Beyoncé was “Beyoncey” on the campaign trail.
Among Trump’s many duties as president is international diplomacy, which requires basic competency and clarity as major policies are announced and executed.
To deal with Iran, it would help if he knew the name of one of the country’s key leaders.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
Recommended
Biden campaign launches new ad focused on Affordable Care Act
Former President Trump has said he wants to do away with the popular health care law.
By Kim Lyons, Pennsylvania Capital-Star - May 08, 2024Trump leaves door open to banning medication abortion nationwide
Donald Trump is planning to release more details in the weeks ahead about how his administration would regulate access to medication abortion, according to comments he made during a lengthy interview with Time magazine published Tuesday.
By Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom - April 30, 2024Biden on abortion rights: President expects to give speech Tuesday on new Florida 6-week ban
‘Having the president of the United States speaking out loud and with confidence about abortion access is a great thing’
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix - April 22, 2024