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President Donald Trump announced retaliatory sanctions on Iran on Monday after an unarmed American drone was shot over Iranian airspace, but in doing so, he flubbed the name of Iran's supreme leader.
Surrounded by Vice President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in the Oval Office, Trump said the sanctions would be imposed on Supreme Leader "Ayatollah Khomeini."
The problem? Ayatollah Khomeini has been dead since 1989.
Watch below:
President Trump has just signed an executive order to deny Iran's Supreme Leader and his associates access to key f… https://t.co/tRiLvUZ5Tx— The White House (@The White House) 1561394299.0
Trump said:
"The assets of Ayatollah Khomeini and his office will not be spared from the sanctions."
Ayatollah Khomeini was the first Supreme Leader of Iran. After his death in 1989, he was replaced by Iran's current Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
The White House transcript of the announcement lists the proper spelling "Ayatollah Khamenei," ignoring Trump's gaffe altogether.
In response, Twitter immediately came in with the jokes.
Has Ayatollah Khomeini responded yet?— andy lassner (@andy lassner) 1561423790.0
he and Generalissimo Franco could not be reached for comment https://t.co/VJWuM0ojIB— George Conway (@George Conway) 1561463242.0
@andylassner I heard he’s haunting the White House till the sanctions come off https://t.co/4VavCHNMvs— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn Torabi) 1561424653.0
@andylassner His Press Secretary Benito Mussolini has scheduled a briefing for tomorrow— Season (@Season) 1561423913.0
@andylassner @sharklaser78 No but I heard Trump and Bolton are huddled next to Ouija board waiting for his reply.— no wilting flower (@no wilting flower) 1561440053.0
@WhiteHouse Live shot of his reaction... https://t.co/yZAnx172QZ— CL (@CL) 1561422746.0
@WhiteHouse https://t.co/k0kM5BDbuj— Kentucky Jacquerie (@Kentucky Jacquerie) 1561412655.0
@andylassner He’s been pretty silent on this— Amys Here (@Amys Here) 1561423807.0
Some began alluding to Trump's Frederick Douglass gaffe in 2017.
@WhiteHouse The Ayatollah who's been dead since 1989? Maybe he's meeting with Frederick Douglass.— Debbie Resists 🍑 (@Debbie Resists 🍑) 1561418064.0
@WhiteHouse The Ayatollah Khomeini died on a hill at the Bowling Green Massacre in 1989 per Frederick Douglas. Tho… https://t.co/ZvBOKL0dam— Miss Know It All 🍑🌊 #ImpeachmentIsComing (@Miss Know It All 🍑🌊 #ImpeachmentIsComing) 1561426875.0
@andylassner He's probably asking Frederick Douglass what to say.— Malcolm P. Johnson (@Malcolm P. Johnson) 1561471388.0
@andylassner Not sure, but Frederick Douglass might know how to reach him.— 🌊 Nasty Woman 🌊 (@🌊 Nasty Woman 🌊) 1561467022.0
Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, brutally responded to the sanctions, claiming that the White House was suffering from a mental disability.
There is one thing everyone agrees with Trump on, however:
We need a President who isn't a laughing stock to the entire World. We need a truly great leader, a genius at strategy and winning. Respect!— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1407569450.0
Awkward.