12 tweets that have come back to haunt Donald Trump
In 2013, Trump criticised Republican politician Marco Rubio (his one-time GOP rival) for drinking from a bottle during a speech. ‘When they put Marco on to refute President Obama’s speech, do you remember that catastrophe?’ Trump then asked a campaign crowd in Fort Worth, Texas, in February 2016. He mocked Rubio, saying, ‘He’s like this: ‘” need water. Help me, I need water,”’ Trump said, pretending to stagger on stage.
Recently, during his Asia tour, Trump stopped twice to take a drink from a bottle during his speech. (Getty)
The right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the US Constitution – as Donald Trump clearly knows, judging from this tweet in 2017. Despite this, the President has branded NFL star Colin Kaepernick a ‘son of a bitch’ for kneeling during the national anthem in a (very peaceful) protest against police brutality. He has also urged NFL team owners to fire anyone who copies Kaepernick. (Getty)
When he was just an average, billionaire US citizen, Donald Trump had a real problem with the amount of time President Obama spent on the golf course. But despite numerous crises in his first 12 months in the job (natural disasters, North Korea, Iran, Russian hacking, race riots, etc) President Trump has managed to squeeze in (at a best estimate) 29 rounds of golf – compared to 22 times by Obama. Fore! (Getty)
In 2014, Trump posted this tweet in response to Obama’s changing Affordable Care Act premiums, which were undergoing some difficulties due to the two-step application process at the time. He was trying to convince people that Obamacare would leave many people worse off when it came to health insurance. Once in power, Trump’s attempts to dismantle Obamacare could affect, according to S&P Global Ratings, between six-10 million people. This could lead to 36,000 extra deaths a year. (Getty)
In February 2012, the Obamas went on holiday in Aspen, Colorado. Afterwards, amid concerns Michelle hadn’t fully disclosed the cost of the vacation, Donald Trump used this tweet to accuse the then-President of a lack of transparency. Fast forward to 2017, and Trump has repeatedly refused to release details of his tax records – something every President has done for the past 40 years.
In 2013, Donald Trump lambasted Obama for saying he would change the name of the Washington Redskins over concerns it was offensive to Native Americans. When greeted with his own NFL controversy – the #takeaknee outrage – Trump blasted anthem protesters, saying: “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He’s fired. He’s fired!’”
In 2012, Trump tweeted ‘Who else could take 16 vacations, play over 100 rounds of golf and hold over 300 fundraisers while serving as POTUS besides @BarackObama–& not one jobs meeting.’ According to FactCheck.org, by the end of August Trump had taken three times as much holiday as Obama – 53 days, compared to Obama’s 19. (Getty)
Prior to landing the top job, Trump was insistent that the US should stay out of Syria – as exemplified by a series of tweets from 2013. First, he tweeted ‘What will we get for bombing Syria besides more debt and a possible long term conflict? Obama needs Congressional approval.’ and then later, tweeted again (pictured). Faced with the actual repsonsibility of being President, Trump suddenly took a very different view and in April 2017, two U.S. warships fired 59 cruise missiles from the eastern Mediterranean Sea at the targeted air base. They began landing in Syria at around 8:40 pm Eastern Time. (Getty)
Before and during Obama’s presidency, many conspiracy theories circled that his birth certificate was fake and that he was not a US citizen. Even though this was widely debunked (indeed, the Hawaiian Department for Health released official records showing Obama was a legal citizen) Trump and others continued to make the outlandish claim. The tweet pictured shows Trump citing an anonymous source to back up his claim.
It’s been a bit different as President andIn 2013 Trump has frequently turned his ire on ‘fake’ news reports from ‘anonymous’ sources inside the White House, even tweeting in May: ‘It is very possible that those sources don’t exist but are made up by fake news writers. #FakeNews is the enemy!’. (Getty)
Before the 2016 election news spread that Hillary Clinton had used a private email account for personal matters while standing as Secretary of State. During a high-profile media inquiry, there were debates as to whether or not Clinton should have received immunity for the actions during her presidency. Later, at a campaign rally, Trump said of Hillary ‘Her aides took the Fifth Amendment and her ringleaders were given immunity,’ the crowd booed in response. ‘And if you’re not guilty of a crime, what do you need immunity for, right?’ But then in 2017, Trump tweeted: ‘Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!’ (Getty)
Approximately five years after Trump tweeted this, images surfaced of him and a high-heel clad Melania visiting Texas after Hurricane Harvey standing around in puddles. (Getty)
This pearl of wisdom about leadership qualities from 2013 reads a little differently four years on.
In May 2017, Trump tried to repeal Obamacare, but failed to secure the necessary 50 Senate votes. But instead of taking responsibility, Trump launched into an attack on those who had voted against him. ‘For seven years, I’ve been hearing ‘repeal and replace’ from Congress, and I’ve been hearing it loud and strong,’ he moaned. ‘And then when we finally get a chance to repeal and replace, they don’t take advantage of it.’
Instead, he vowed in a tweet just to ‘let Obamacare fail’.
In September, after Trump had failed to repeal it for a second time, he blamed Republican Senator John McCain for voting against him; and Congress in general for ‘pandering and grandstanding’.
Anyone but himself, apparently.
If there’s one thing Donald Trump is famous (infamous?) for, it’s his Twitter account.
Whether he’s threatening North Korea with references to its ‘little Rocket man‘; (wrongly) accusing Obama of wire-tapping him; attacking the media for yet another bout of ‘fake news’; or even giving the world a brand new word (covfefe), you can always rely on the US President to send the world into spasms in less than 140 characters.
In the one year it’s been since Trump has officially entered the White House, he’s certainly made his fair share of comments.
But what about before he was the leader of the free world?
It’s probably no surprise that Mr Trump’s old twitter game was just as controversial – and his critics have regularly used old posts to try and highlight his apparent hypocrisy now that he is in power.
From the likes of calling out Obama for his golf habit to making suggestive claims about Hillary Clinton’s immunity, maybe @realDonaldTrump should check his old tweets or refrain from Twitter entirely before publishing his next train of thought.
What are the latest odds Trump gets impeached?
Donald Trump sent an aide to McDonald’s because he didn’t like his private chef’s burgers
Donald Trump’s granddaughter goes viral in China after charming Xi Jinping with Mandarin song
Donald Trump warns North Korea it is in ‘grave danger’ and says: ‘Do not try us’
One per cent of Americans have never heard of Donald Trump