Trump reportedly said George Washington would have named Mount Vernon after himself 'if he was smart'
President Trump's tour of Mount Vernon last year reportedly went completely off the rails.
Trump in April 2018 paid a visit to George Washington's home alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, and Politico reports that their tour guide, Mount Vernon President and CEO Doug Bradburn, would later describe the ordeal as "truly bizarre."
For one, Trump reportedly questioned why Washington didn't name the place after himself, musing, "If he was smart, he would've put his name on it. You've got to put your name on stuff or no one remembers you." When Bradburn pointed out that Washington actually did pretty well in that department considering the nation's capital was named after him, Trump laughed and said, "good point."
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Bradburn reportedly spent basically the entire tour "desperately trying" to maintain Trump's interest, as the president became "quickly bored." In fact, Bradburn, who didn't comment for the article, has reportedly said Macron actually knew more about Mount Vernon than Trump did. One of the only times Trump showed any interest was apparently when he asked Bradburn whether Washington was "really rich," becoming excited when he found out he was. As far as the property, Trump reportedly hated it, complaining that he could have built it better himself — although he did compliment Washington's bed as "a good bed to die in."
Read more about the strange visit at Politico.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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