Donald Trump on Friday referred to Kenneth Mapp, Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, as president. The only problem is Trump himself is actually president of the U.S territory.
Trump made the error during a speech to the Values Voter Summit in Washington.
“I will tell you I left Texas and I left Florida and and I left Louisiana and I went to Puerto Rico and I met with the President of the Virgin Islands. We are one nation and we all hurt together, we hope together and we heal together. The Virgin Islands and the President of the Virgin Islands, these are people that are incredible people, they suffered gravely and we’re be there, we’re going to be there, we have really, it is not even a question of a choice.”
The residents of the Virgin Islands, a majority-Black U.S territory, are American citizens. Trump wasn’t corrected during the event, but the speech was amended in the official White House transcript.
Trump met with Gov. Mapp during his trip to Puerto Rico. The Virgin Islands were hit by both Hurricanes Irma and Maria 12 days apart. In a letter to congressional leaders, Gov. Mapp detailed the damages the country. He wrote that both Virgin Island hospitals, school, fire and police stations have been destroyed. According to NBC, officials have calculated the economic losses to Virgin Islands at more than $2 billion. The House approved a $36.5 billion in emergency disaster relief to the deadly weather events in Florida, Texas, California, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Trump isn’t the first person in his administration to make this mistake. Just a day before, Energy Secretary Rick Perry referred to Puerto Rico as a country during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing. He was corrected by Rep. Kathy Castor.