From thousands of miles away, President Trump predicted to a crowd gathered for a roundtable discussion Monday in Minnesota that the Notre Dame cathedral, currently engulfed in flames, “looks like it is burning to the ground.”
The remark was met with gasps by the crowd.
“I’ve been in communication with France, they’re having a terrible terrible fire, you probably saw,” he said. “I will tell you, the fire that they are having at the Notre Dame cathedral is something like few people have witnessed. When we left … it was burning at a level that you rarely see a fire burn. It is one of the great treasures of the world. The greatest artists in the world. Probably, if you think about it, I would say … it might be greater than almost any museum in the world and its burning very badly. Looks like its burning to the ground.”
“It’s a terrible sight to behold,” he added.
Trump: it looks like Notre Dame is "burning to the ground" pic.twitter.com/g5KNvSv4Zy
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 15, 2019
Trump reacted to the fire in real time earlier on Monday, with a callous tone he’s become known for projecting in the wake of tragedy. He suggested that France should get some “flying water tankers” to put out the blaze. Not long after, the iconic steeple of the 856-year-old church collapsed into itself before ultimately falling over.
So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 15, 2019
