President Trump’s Remarks Post-Voting
On October 24, President Trump claimed his uncle invented radar while speaking to reporters after early voting in Palm Beach, Florida. Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a clip of the president’s remarks on X, where a community note was swiftly added. It corrected Trump’s statement, highlighting that his uncle did not invent radar.
Truth Behind Trump’s Statement
Dr. John Trump, while deeply involved in radar research during World War II, was not the inventor of radar. Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on this claim.
Details of Trump’s Speech
The president referenced the destruction of Iranian equipment, attributing the invention of radar to his uncle, saying, “My uncle invented radar… From MIT Dr John Trump.” He praised his uncle’s connection to the technology, expressing personal pride.
A community note on Rupar’s post clarifies: “The ‘first practical radar system’ was patented by Sir Robert Watson-Watt, who built on the work of others like Heinrich Hertz and Christian Huelsmeyer.”
The Invention of Radar
Radar’s development involved multiple contributors, including British engineer Sir Robert Watson-Watt, who acknowledged the collaborative effort in his 1958 memoir ‘Three Steps to Victory.’ Heinrich Hertz’s work on electromagnetic waves between 1886 and 1889 laid the foundational knowledge, followed by Christian Hulsmeyer’s patent in 1904 for a ship-detecting device utilizing radio waves.
In 1935, Watson-Watt, at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory, developed a mechanism to consistently detect aircraft, leading to Chain Home radar installations crucial for Britain’s defense in the 1940 Battle of Britain.
Dr. John Trump’s Contributions
Dr. John Trump, the younger brother of President Trump’s father, contributed substantially to American radar research, though not its invention. As an assistant professor at MIT starting in 1936, he engaged heavily in radar studies. By 1942, as secretary of the US National Defense Research Committee’s Microwave Committee, Dr. Trump oversaw radar research nationwide.
In 1944, Dr. Trump worked with Watson-Watt and other prominent UK scientists while leading MIT’s Radiation Laboratory’s British Branch, furthering radar technology adoption in the U.S. military.
Other Claims from President Trump
President Trump has made other disputable statements regarding his uncle, such as asserting that Dr. Trump taught Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, finding him to be a “seriously good” student. MIT, however, confirmed they lacked records of Kaczynski’s attendance. Notably, Dr. Trump passed away in 1985, well before Kaczynski’s public identification and arrest in 1996.