Remember that stupid thing Donald Trump did? Hard as it is to pick, here are the top 10 – Salon
We'retentatively starting to emerge from the four year-long national nightmare of Donald Trump's presidency, but the reckoning of what the nation endured will take years to really understand. Trump was terrible in so many ways that it's hard to catalog them all: His sociopathic lack of regard for others. His towering narcissism. His utter ease with lying. His cruelty and sadism. The glee he took in cheating and stomping on anything good and decent. His misogyny and racism. His love of encouraging violence,only equaled by his personal cowardice.
But of all the repulsive character traits in a man so wholly lacking inany redeemable qualities, perhaps the most perplexing to his opponents was Trump's incredible stupidity. On one hand, it was maddening that a man so painfully dumb, a man who clearly could barely read even on those rare occasions when he deigned towear glasses still had the low cunning necessary to take over the Republican Party and then the White House.
Onthe other hand, it was the one aspect of Trump's personality that kept hope alive. Surely a man so stupid, his opponents believed,will one day blunder so badly he can't be saved, even by his mostpowerful sycophants. That has proved to be the case as Trump fumbles his way through a failed coup, unable and unwilling to see that stealing the election from Joe Biden is a lost cause.
Trump's unparalleled idiocy gave us a few laughs along the way, which wesorely needed in those troubled times. With that in mind, here's a list of the 10most jaw-droppingly stupid moments of Trump's White House tenure.
1) That time Trump suggested injecting household cleaners into people's lungs to cure them of the coronavirus. Even for connoisseurs of Trumpian idiocy, it was a shocker when, after hearing that bleach and Lysol can kill the coronavirus on surfaces, got behind the podium in the White House briefing room and declared, "I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute. ... Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning, because, you see, it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs?"
He then pointed at his head, and said, "I'm, like, a person who has a good you-know-what."
The situation was only made worse because this nitwit said this during the daily coronavirus "press briefing," during that surreal periodof the spring andearly summer in which he held forth daily, often for hours, presenting himself as not just a leader but an expert. Never has a man believed he knew so much while knowing so little.
2) That timehe looked at a solareclipse without eye protection after everyone was repeatedly told not to look at the eclipse without eye protection.
It was at this moment that I realized that Trump voters must like it that he's an stone cold idiot, if only because they enjoy the wayit triggers the liberals.
3) That time he couldn't admit he was wrong when he tweeted that Hurricane Dorian was going to hit Alabama, and so he drew on a weather map with a Sharpie to make it seem like he was right.
Again, what really elevates some of the best dumbass-Trump moments is when his stupidity combines with his massive ego to create a dunderhead singularity.
4) That timehe threw paper towels at people in Puerto Ricowho had just endured Hurricane Maria.
Trump's ego plus Trump's stupidity is just sublime. But when his stupidity combined with racism, the effect was often more chilling than funny.
5) That time he asked members of the National Security Council if they could nuke hurricanes rather than letting them hit the U.S.
Hurricanes drew out Trump's fatuousness like a good cheese draws out the notes in fine wine.
6) That time Trump was told to talk about Frederick Douglass at a Black History Month event, clearly had no idea who that was, and while trying to bullshit his way through the talk, implied that Douglass was still alive.
"Douglass is an example of somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice," Trump said, using the same strategy that a sixth-grader who hasn't read the book might employto bluffthrough a bookreport. There was a piece of paper in front of Trump that likely had more information about the author and abolitionist who was bornenslaved and died in 1895 as one of the most famous Americans, but Trump, as ever too vain to wear his glasses in public, probably couldn't read it.
7) That time he suggested that his much-desired border wall could just maybe be buttressed with alligator moats.
This one was fondly remembered by the Salon staff as an iconic example of the wayTrump's racism amplifies his imbecility in an almost exponential fashion.
8) That timehe asked Canada's prime minister, Justin Trudeau, "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?"
At this point one almost wants to give him half-credit for remembering that the White House wasburned down at one point by the British in the War of 1812. But then one remembers that Trump has declared himself the protector and savior of American history, so much so that he's created the "1776 Commission" in a supposed effortto preserve what he considers the proper teaching of history. All he means by that, of course, is teaching kids that the blatant racism of the past was noble and just, and not so much actual facts, let aloneactual history.
9) That time Trump "liked" a tweet praising Rihanna.
This is a deep cut, but a personal favorite of mine, mostly because Ashley Feinberg at Slate did a detailed explorationofthis topic and demonstrated it was almost certainly the result of stupidity, horninessand Trump's short and stubby fingers. It started when Trump liked and then unliked a tweet by a woman named Heben Nigatu declaring, "Every new Rihanna interview makes me grow stronger. We stan a work/life balance queen!!!"
As Feinberg noted, Rihanna's name was trending on Twitter the night of the weird "like."If users clicked that trending topic, they sawa photo of Rihanna lounging on a couch in a see-through leotard. As "our president is furiously, pathologically horny," Feinberg concludes, he likely "clicked on this photo of Rihanna while making a series of steamboat noises and sweating profusely," which led him to a list of tweets mentioning Rihanna including Nigatu's tweet. At which point his fingers, which are too small to be controlled with any grace, likely slid unconsciously over the "like" button.
As further evidence, Feinberg points out Trump had, in the past, done the same to a sexy photo of Katy Perry.
10) Whenhe called the Second Epistle to the Corinthians "TwoCorinthians."
This isanother personal favorite, because, like many other ofTrump's dumber moments such aswhen he tried to put money on a communion platter, orwhen he held aBible as if he were afraid it mightbite him, orwhen he seemed confused by the idea that heshould ask God for forgiveness it was a fun reminder that Trump's professed Christianity is not just an act, but an acthe can barely be bothered to keep going. It's delicious because it's a twofer, not just exposing Trump's stupidity, but the absolute shamelessness of the Christian right leaders who backed him. (For those who may be unclear: This book of the Bible is abbreviated as "2 Corinthians" but always called "Second Corinthians.")
Every time Trump fumbled in this way, and the Trump-friendly evangelists kept on actinglike he was God's emissary on earth, it was further evidence that most of these supposedly devout Christians don't really care about faith or God or Jesus or any of thatthat stuff they care about power. Aswith their beloved president, dramatic performance of public piety by so many right-wing Christian leaders is little more than a dog-and-pony show put on to sucker the rubes.
So there's your top 10, with the caveat that it was hard perhaps impossible to narrow down that number in a satisfying manner, since Trump has done unbelievably stupid crap virtually every single day for four years. But that's why the internet gods invented social media and comment sections, so you can add your own to the list!
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Remember that stupid thing Donald Trump did? Hard as it is to pick, here are the top 10 - Salon
- President Donald Trump pledges action to save Great Salt Lake - KUTV - February 22nd, 2026 [February 22nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump Calls On Netflix To Fire Board Member Susan Rice Or Pay The Consequences - Deadline - February 22nd, 2026 [February 22nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump just announced a NEW 15% TAX on the American people. He does not care about you. - x.com - February 22nd, 2026 [February 22nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump is reshaping American health care - The Economist - February 22nd, 2026 [February 22nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump says US committing $10 billion to Board of Peace - The Hill - February 20th, 2026 [February 20th, 2026]
- Florida airport to be renamed after US President Donald Trump - RFI - February 20th, 2026 [February 20th, 2026]
- Donald Trump and the disgrace of Presidents Day - The Hill - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- Nothing says the special relationship is over like this picture of Donald Trump and Liz Truss | Zoe Williams - The Guardian - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- George Washington and Donald Trump Have a Similar Obsession. Theyve Expressed It Shall We Say ... Differently. - Slate - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- Where Donald Trump Approval Rating Stands in Each State on Presidents Day - Newsweek - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- Donald Trump is "in retreat" on Greenland and ICE, prominent critic and California Governor Gavin Newsom told DW at #MSC2026. - facebook.com - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- Peter Kalis: What JFK did, Donald Trump can do, and for the same reasons - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 16th, 2026 [February 16th, 2026]
- Donald Trump and the Dictator Dynamic - America Magazine - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- Who wrangled the best trade deal from Donald Trump? - The Economist - February 11th, 2026 [February 11th, 2026]
- President Donald Trump: We have the hottest country in the world - Fox Business - February 9th, 2026 [February 9th, 2026]
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- The 7 things to know about President Donald Trump for Monday, Feb. 9 - The Washington Post - February 9th, 2026 [February 9th, 2026]
- Donald Trump calls for immediate NFL rule change after what he saw in Super Bowl 60 - Yahoo - February 9th, 2026 [February 9th, 2026]
- Bill Maher Says Donald Trump Wanting Greenland Isnt the Craziest Idea Ever - TV Insider - February 9th, 2026 [February 9th, 2026]
- Thank you, President Donald J. Trump, for approving Tennessees Major Disaster Declaration to support recovery following Winter Storm Fern. This... - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- How to Protect the 2026 Elections from Donald Trump - The New Yorker - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- 3 Polls That Paint a Worrying Sign for Donald Trump - Newsweek - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
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- Remarks: Donald Trump Addresses the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol - February 5, 2026 - Roll Call - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- Eugene Daniels reacts to Trump post with racist depiction of Obamas: 'This is who Donald Trump is' - MS NOW - February 7th, 2026 [February 7th, 2026]
- President Donald Trump signs the spending bill that ends the shutdown and reopens the U.S. Government - The White House (.gov) - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- Read the extended transcript: President Donald Trump interviewed by 'NBC Nightly News' anchor Tom Llamas - NBC News - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- Donald Trump wants to end Americas half-century conflict with Iran - The Economist - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- Donald Trump and Xi Jinping discuss Ukraine and trade ahead of US state visit to Beijing - Financial Times - February 4th, 2026 [February 4th, 2026]
- Opinion: Why are political cartoonists drawn to Donald Trump? 'He really is a cartoon' - CT Insider - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- David M. Shribman: Where is Donald Trump taking America? - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- How Donald Trump reshaped Vermont in just 1 year - VTDigger - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Everyone is comparing Donald Trump to the wrong fascist - PhillyVoice - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Donald Trump announces plans for Indycar race through Washington DC streets - The Guardian - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- 'Melania' Is Gift to Donald Trump, Disguised As a Boring Movie: Review - Business Insider - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Mayor Helena Moreno meets with Donald Trump on sidelines of Washington Mardi Gras - NOLA.com - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Rinse and Repeat: Western allies ready for next rollercoaster with Donald Trump - CNN - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Addresses His Father's Alzheimer's in New Health Interview, Saying Fred Had 'What Do They Call It?' - People.com - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- The Woman Who Stands Between Donald Trump and Greenland - The New York Times - January 26th, 2026 [January 26th, 2026]
- Davos 2026: Special Address by Donald J Trump, President of the United States of America - weforum.org - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Democratic senators sound the alarm on Pentagon backing firms linked to Donald Trump Jr. - CNN - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- How Donald Trump Brought Us to a Rupture in the World Order - The New Yorker - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Donald Trump to unveil home buying plan involving retirement funds - BBC - January 18th, 2026 [January 18th, 2026]
- America has coped with worse things than Donald Trump - The Economist - January 18th, 2026 [January 18th, 2026]
- Venezuelans believe Donald Trump has offered them a better future - The Economist - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Yells 'F--k You' and Flips Off Man After Being Called a 'Pedophile Protector' - People.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Tries New Joe Biden Impression as He Brags About Ignoring Teleprompter '80% of the Time' - People.com - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump Just Slapped Another Sign On The White House, And It's Exactly What You'd Expect - Yahoo - January 14th, 2026 [January 14th, 2026]
- Donald Trump wants the US back on the moon before his term ends. Can it happen? - The Guardian - January 2nd, 2026 [January 2nd, 2026]
- Donald Trump Caps Off 2025 With Digs At George Clooney And His New French Citizenship - Deadline - December 31st, 2025 [December 31st, 2025]
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- How Donald Trump, 79, Turned Bruises and Cankles Into a Full-On Health Crisis - The Daily Beast - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Country music star shared heartbreaking message about Donald Trump before death - Yahoo - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- I WITNESS: From the desk of Donald Trump - The Berkshire Edge - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Dear Britain: things are bad, but America will recover from Donald Trump. Just give us three years | Jimmy Kimmel - The Guardian - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Threatens Americans to 'Enjoy What May be Your Last Merry Christmas' - People.com - December 27th, 2025 [December 27th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Praises Ted Sarandos But Says Netflix-WBD Would Have A Great Big Market Share In Streaming - Deadline - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Sources: Ted Sarandos Met With Donald Trump Ahead of Netflixs Winning Warner Bros. Deal - The Hollywood Reporter - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Jr. suggests the US may walk away from Ukraine peace talks - CNN - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- "SNL" mocks Pete Hegseth and "sleeping" Donald Trump"kill everybody" - Newsweek - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- The war on drugs felt over. Donald Trump restarted it - CNN - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- At the 2026 World Cup draw, the winner is ... Donald Trump - CNBC - December 7th, 2025 [December 7th, 2025]
- Melania Trump was once the one making controversial White House design choices. Now, it's Donald Trump. - Business Insider - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Donald Trump Gets Worrying Sign Ahead of Midterms - Newsweek - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Tennessee Special Election Could Be Kamala Harris Revenge on Donald Trump - Newsweek - December 2nd, 2025 [December 2nd, 2025]
- Drug trafficking: Donald Trump says he is 'okay' with striking Mexico - France 24 - November 18th, 2025 [November 18th, 2025]
- Donald Trump to host Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House - live updates - The Guardian - November 18th, 2025 [November 18th, 2025]
- MBS Has a List of Big Asks for Donald Trump in DC - Bloomberg.com - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Timeline of Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epsteins relationship - CNN - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- 'I am the one able to take him down.' What Jeffrey Epstein said about Donald Trump. - USA Today - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump signs the funding bill from Congress that reopens the government - The White House (.gov) - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Is a Lamer Duck Than Ever - The Atlantic - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Terry McAuliffe: Donald Trump is the Democrats Best Weapon - CNN - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Donald Trump May Have Revealed Where Barron Is Living After His Quiet College Transfer - People.com - November 14th, 2025 [November 14th, 2025]
- Eight California Counties Won by Donald Trump Vote Yes on Prop 50 - Newsweek - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Reacts After Democrats Win Big on Election Night - Newsweek - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump Has All-Caps Reaction To GOP's Disastrous Election Night - HuffPost - November 5th, 2025 [November 5th, 2025]
- Donald Trump says rare earths dispute settled after Xi Jinping meeting in South Korea live updates - The Guardian - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]
- President Donald Trump attends a dinner in his honor hosted by President Lee Jae Myung of the Republic of Korea - The White House (.gov) - October 30th, 2025 [October 30th, 2025]