The Canadians reacted with indignation and humor to the alleged statement of US President Donald Trump, who asked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trindade if Canadians burned down the White House in 1812.
In fact, British forces set fire to the residence of the American president during the 1812 war with the USA. But Canada did not exist then as a country, but was a British colony.
"Didn't you burn down the White House?" Trump reportedly asked Trinto during a May 25 phone call about Washington imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other countries.
According to CNN, Trinto pressured Trump by asking him how he could justify imposing tariffs as a measure to protect US "national security."
The problem with the American president's response is that British troops burned down the White House. Historians say the British attack on Washington was in retaliation for the American attack on York, Ontario, an area that later became Canada.
"Canada became a country in 1897. The war of 1812 took place in 1812 XNUMX," wrote one Twitter user, while another greeted "all historians whose phones are finally ringing incessantly today."
"Let's look at the positives: At least (Trump) knows what the war of 1812 is and that during it someone burned something," said another.
The New York Times correspondent jokingly commented that "some young Republicans are frantically searching Google to see if British-Canadian units actually participated" in the 1812 war.