Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary Perfectly Trolled Donald Trump After He Misspelled 'Moat' in a Now Deleted Tweet

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary Perfectly Trolled Donald Trump After He Misspelled 'Moat' in a Now Deleted Tweet
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting Slovak Republic Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in the Oval Office at the White House May 03, 2019 in Washington, DC. Pellegrini's visit is part of the Trump Administration's larger diplomatic attempt to compete with Moscow and Beijing in Central Europe. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Brutal.

President Donald Trump fumed on Twitter after a recent New York Times article reported that the president, in a meeting this past March, suggested a moat filled with snakes or alligators to fortify his long-sought wall at the southern border.

Trump claimed the reports, which were relayed to the Times by multiple officials present for the meeting, were fake news. Unfortunately, Trump was too distracted by his rage to notice a rather embarrassing typo.


It wasn't long before Trump deleted the tweet, replacing "moot" with "moat."

But the internet is forever, and replacing the tweet with the correct spelling was, ironically, moot.

Soon, Merriam-Webster trolled Trump about the typo with a masterful tweet.

Using a lesser-known, but more relevant definition of "moot," given the context, Merriam-Webster helped Trump learn the difference between the two words.

And people were cheering.

While the dictionary may be good at making jokes, the level of cruelty indicated by the contents of the New York Times report is nothing short of shocking. In addition to the moat, the President reportedly suggested flesh-piercing spikes atop the wall, electrifying the wall, and even shooting migrants in the legs to slow them down.

For many of Trump's supporters, however, the proposed atrocities were even more of a reason to support him.

The New York Times article was adapted from excerpts of Border Wars: Inside Trump's War on Immigration by New York Times correspondents Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Michael D. Shear, available for pre-order here.

More from People/donald-trump

Screenshots from @cortneygetsfit's TikTok video
@cortneygetsfit/TikTok

Stay-At-Home Mom Offers Dire Warning For Other Moms After Husband Suddenly Files For Divorce

We've all heard the advice to not put all of our eggs in one basket, and while we generally think of that in terms of work, so that if one form of income dries up, we'll have a backup plan, it can apply to our relationships, too.

While it's perfectly okay to be in a monogamous relationship, we shouldn't place all of our happiness in our partner, or measure our sense of self-worth solely through the relationship, and it can be risky to fully depend on our partners financially.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Reveal The 'Poor Person Hacks' They Picked Up That They Still Use Today

I've been poor several times.

There are ways to make poor work for you, though.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Explain Which Unusual 'I Need This In A Partner' Traits They Refuse To Negotiate On

Compiling a list of must-haves or must-nots for a perfect partner in a relationship is easy for many.

Some of us just know EXACTLY what we want or demand of another person.

Keep ReadingShow less
people marching in formation
Filip Andrejevic on Unsplash

Drill Instructors Reveal Where They Get The Outrageous Insults They Yell At Recruits

The movie-going public is familiar with military drill instructors through standout performances by Louis Gossett Jr. as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, Christopher Walken as Sergeant Toomey in Biloxi Blues, Clancy Brown as Sergeant Zim in Starship Troopers, Jack Webb as TSgt Jim Moore in The D.I.

Probably the most notable on-screen drill instructor was played by actual retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor R. Lee Ermey as SSgt Loyce in The Boys in Company C and as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket.

Keep ReadingShow less
veteran giving salute
sydney Rae on Unsplash

Veterans Explain Which Things About The U.S. Military They Didn't Realize Until They Left

The saying, 'Can't see the forest for the trees' refers to a common inability to realize things about a situation a person is in while that person is in the thick of it. It's only after being removed from the situation does the person have the ability to realize where exactly they were and what was happening.

It's a similar idea to the saying 'hindsight is 20/20' which means reflection on past circumstances usually often more clarity than in the moment.

Keep ReadingShow less