For a guy who recently told The New York Times that he doesn't have time to watch TV, President Trump seems very fixated on the medium lately.
In fact, he spent part of a speech to his supporters at an Ohio rally rambling about the number of TVs there are aboard Air Force One.
Trump's rhapsodizing about TVs came yesterday during his speech in Swanton, Ohio.
Trump is very impressed with the televisions in bathrooms in Air Force One https://t.co/Au9hhW2TO1— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1600734313.0
The comments came as a non-sequitur while he discussed his chances of winning the state of Ohio. Apropos of nothing, Trump pivoted to his plane's TVs, speaking in a tone that can only be described as reverent.
"I just came in on that big, beautiful plane. It's got more televisions than any plane in history. They've got televisions in closets, in bathrooms, on the floor, on the ceilings."
Then, without transition or warning, the President turned his attention back to his Ohio poll numbers, which show him tied with Democratic opponent Joe Biden. Trump called the polls "almost as fake as the writers themselves."
As bizarre as the comments were on their face, Trump's tribute to his airplane TVs seems all the stranger given his recent denials about how much television he actually watches.
It has long been reported that the President watches hours of cable news each day, Fox News in particular. Trump has repeatedly denied that characterization, most recently in a July interview with The New York Times in which he claimed he doesn't have time to watch television because he works such long hours.
Earlier this month, however, his story seemed to change. During a White House press conference, he rattled off a list of shows he'd watched in the previous 24 hours that totaled nearly eight hours of television viewing.
Avid television hound or not, Trump's strange Air Force One TV remarks certainly raised some eyebrows on Twitter.
@atrupar That's just what people who have lost their jobs or have family members dying want to hear is how great th… https://t.co/Y6AVQUQcB4— grannysue1996 (@grannysue1996) 1600735355.0
@atrupar He will be even more impressed with the bathrooms in prison 😳— Samantha Marie 🏴☠️ (@Samantha Marie 🏴☠️) 1600734457.0
@atrupar He is sing-songing about TVs in toilets and the crowd goes nuts like he just declared world peace.— Comfortably Numb (@Comfortably Numb) 1600735013.0
What’s with his obsession with toilets? https://t.co/qbdKLShwsH— #Ver-ify Rhonda Hart 🤟🏼🛹 (@#Ver-ify Rhonda Hart 🤟🏼🛹) 1600735629.0
A reminder not to elect narcissistic psychopaths to positions of power. This is actually the meaning of "Never Ag… https://t.co/WNtsSACeb3— Elizabeth Mika (@Elizabeth Mika) 1600742190.0
@thehill Why are they cheering? He could just stand there and say “Cheese Sandwich! Cheese Sandwich!” And they’d all cheer🤷♀️— Overturn Citizens United NOW📢 (@Overturn Citizens United NOW📢) 1600734132.0
And a few people couldn't help but point out that Trump's claims can't possibly be true because... well, jetliners exist.
@thehill Wait until he flies on a plane with TV’s in the back of every headrest— Greg Franklin (@Greg Franklin) 1600735290.0
@thehill Aurbus makes an A380 with 538 seats. Each with a TV. Think of your average jetliner. Then think about… https://t.co/phgKxz7EdZ— Pragmanthis (@Pragmanthis) 1600735043.0
A few witnesses to the Air Force One TV situation took to Twitter to point out that there are not, in fact, TVs embedded in the floors and ceilings of the plane or adorning its bathrooms and closets.
I flew on Air Force One many times. I never noticed all those tvs in the closets, bathrooms, floors, and the ceili… https://t.co/XjJvqqhHpu— Michael McFaul (@Michael McFaul) 1600737826.0
Perhaps Trump will clarify the locations of his airplane televisions in his next campaign appearance, which is in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh.