Donald Trump’s Freudian Tweet: China’s Actions Are ‘Unpresidented’

Donald Trump made a Freudian slip on Twitter today while sending a tweet criticizing China. The president-elect intended to attack China for seizing a US Navy drone in international waters but instead his typo highlighted his un-presidential actions.

“China steals United States Navy research drone in international waters – rips it out of water and takes it to China in unpresidented act,” Trump tweeted. He obviously meant ‘unprecedented’ but his tendency to use Twitter for hot takes meant he misspelled the word.

Trump’s tweet came as controversy over Russian hacking continues. Trump’s response has been widely criticized and some have said he is not acting in a presidential manner. The current media climate makes the timing of his typo perfect for online mockery.

This isn’t the first time Trump has made a linguistic error while trying to make a serious point. Speaking about keeping Carrier jobs in the US, Trump said his campaign promise was a ‘euphenism’, meaning he made his promises euphemistically.

Trump’s errors are reminiscent of President George W. Bush, who became famous during his time in the White House for garbled sentences and strange phrases. Bush once famously asked “Is our children learning?” while discussing the importance of education.