WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump wrongly declared Monday that the Spanish flu of 1918 ended World War II, misrepresenting both the year the pandemic occurred and the year World War II ended.
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FOLLOWING
The events took place more than two decades apart.
“The closest thing is in 1917, they say, the big pandemic. It was really a terrible thing, where they lost 50 to 100 million people everywhere, probably ended World War II,” Trump said. “All the soldiers were sick. That was a terrible situation.”
© Andrew Harnik, AP
President Donald Trump listens to a question during a news conference at the James Brady Press Briefing Room in the White House on Monday, August 10, 2020, in Washington. Trump walked away shortly after a security incident outside the White House gate. (AP Photo / Andrew Harnik) ORG XMIT: DCAH166
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The president referred to the Spanish flu, which broke out in 1918. The first infections were identified in March of that year and lasted until 1920.
World War II began in 1939 and ended in 1945 with the surrender of Axis forces, specifically when Japan surrendered unconditionally after the United States dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities.
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The president says the “pandemic of 1917” ended World War II pic.twitter.com/jSltuSYim2
– Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) August 10, 2020
A White House official told USA TODAY Trump is talking about World War I, where more soldiers died from the disease than in the battle and around 500 million people in the world were infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the deployment of troops during World War I has plausibly contributed to the spread of the Spanish flu due to intercontinental movement and volcanic conditions.
The Spanish flu did not officially cause the end of World War I. The end of that war came from Germany signing a ceasefire, which halted fighting after suffering heavy losses on the battlefield.
Despite the president’s reference, “World War II” and “World War” began trending on Twitter, garnering the attention of both lawmakers and celebrities.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Tweeted that it was cruel for Trump’s son and family to “stand so apart.”
World War II ended in 1945. It is cruel @DonaldJTrumpJr and leave family @realDonaldTrump stand out like that. https://t.co/E0v9VAcBWX
– Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) August 10, 2020
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Actress and activist Sophia Bush tweeted, “So to recall things we’ve been learning since 2016 … 45 has not read the Constitution, has not read the Bible (but loves one), and has clearly never taken a US History class “Or … math? Cool cool, very cool.”
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Star Trek actor George Takei tweeted about the 75th anniversary of the Nagasaki bomb, “brings a long and devastating war to a dazzling, violent end. Remember history. Do not twist.”
The president thinks the Spanish flu probably ended World War II (!) Because “all the soldiers were sick.”
The atomic bomb that fell on Nagasaki went off 75 years ago yesterday, bringing a long and devastating war to a shattering, violent end.
Remember history. Do not hide it.
– George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) August 10, 2020
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump wrongly says that 1918 Spanish flu ‘probably ended’ WWII, which happened two decades later
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