Oh Canada! Put Down That Torch!

I am genuinely surprised that Donald Trump knows some American history.

He knows about the War of 1812. Thumbs up from me that he knows that.    

He knows the White House was set on fire during the War of 1812. Well, I’m impressed.  

And he knows the White House was set on fire during the War of 1812 by Canada. OK, what the fuck?  

In a May 25^th phone call, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked Trump how tariffs against his nation’s steel and aluminum could be justified in the name of U.S. national security. Li’l Donnie had a response to that.  

“Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?”  

Give me a minute. Who burned down what now?  

During the War of 1812…..

Let me take a moment to address whoever gets to name things in history. Why is the War of 1812 called the War of 1812?  The war began in 1812 but lasted until the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815 and formally came to an end when the peace treaty was ratified by the United States on February 17, 1815. Couldn’t we have come up with a better name: War For Independence 2: Electric Boogaloo!    

During the War of 1812, the White House was set on fire in 1814 by the British. 

During the War of 1812, Canada was still a British colony at the time, not becoming its own nation until 1867. 

During the War of 1812, the Unites States did set fire in 1813 to York which is today known as Toronto. 

Canadians have sometimes taken credit for burning Washington in 1814  in retaliation for York being set on fire. 

However, the soldiers who burned down Washington were all troops sent directly from Great Britain.

Twitter was prepared to weigh in. 

“Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” I’m guessing that maybe he went to the same school as Bluto Blutarsky in Animal House & has never actually read a history book. #TheBestSkools

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) June 6, 2018

CANADA: But why?

TRUMP: War of 1812!

FRANCE: *scrambles to find receipt for Louisiana Purchase*

— TrivWorks (@TrivWorks) June 6, 2018

They actually tell you it was the British (not Canadians) on White House tours. They also teach it in grade school. Yet, Trump suggested to @JustinTrudeau that CANADA burned down the White House, during the War of 1812.

— VoteVets (@votevets) June 6, 2018

I’m 15. How is it that I knew what happened during the War of 1812, but the president didn’t?

Stop calling the president an immature teenager - that’s an insult to us. He’s an immature idiot.

— Emilia (@PoliticalEmilia) June 6, 2018

Like we always said, this thing is gonna come down to Rudy Giuliani and the War of 1812

— Alex Burns (@alexburnsNYT) June 6, 2018

I had joked previously that Trump would invoke 1812 to Trudeau to justify the “National security risk” Canada poses to the U.S.

I find that joke less funny now.

—Jason Gorber (@filmfest_ca) June 6, 2018

Well, I have to admit I’ve learned something. I’ve always known it was the British who burned the White House but I never knew the Canadians were ever implicated. How did Li’l Donnie get this little nugget in his head? Somebody check and see if this came up on Fox & Friends or Hannity recently.