President Donald Trump on Monday announced a new round of sanctions on Iran, including measures targeting its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At least, that’s the name in the White House transcript.
When he spoke, however, Trump said “Ayatollah Khomeini,” aka Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the country from 1979 until his death in 1989:
Trump said he's placing new sanctions on Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini — he died in 1989 pic.twitter.com/eyvenzcuNs
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 24, 2019
The unexpected shout-out to the long-dead ruler caused Khomeini’s name to trend on Twitter Monday afternoon and evening:
Trump said he placed sanctions on Ayatollah Khomeini, who died in 1989. https://t.co/lHqBK7ctSM
— Liam Stack (@liamstack) June 24, 2019
Khomeini when he hears he’s been sanctioned (sorry) pic.twitter.com/WehCq6Xb9E
— Murtaza Mohammad Hussain (@MazMHussain) June 24, 2019
Me, an idiot: “You just sanctioned Ayatollah Khomeini? He died in 1989”
— Bethany Black (@BeffernieBlack) June 25, 2019
Trump, a stable genius: “Good! That shows the sanction is working” https://t.co/POrXzjKmfd
The Ayatollah Khomeini is being recognized more and more https://t.co/bEfWBvuZk4
— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) June 24, 2019
Trump says he's sanctioning the Ayatollah Khomeini, who has been dead since 1989. https://t.co/pGQQSd2irR
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 24, 2019
"I say Khamenei, you say Khomeini, let's just sanction 'em all" Gershwins meet farcical US foreign policy @barbaraslavin1 @hmajd https://t.co/6iMvxl6OZj
— Sanam Naraghi Anderlini (@sanambna) June 25, 2019
Trump says Ayatollah Khomeini, 30 years dead, will not be spared from the sanctions. Sanctions overreach into the afterlife: https://t.co/iVvstQIk0G
— Ryan Costello (@RN_Costello) June 24, 2019
The President got the name of the person he was sanctioning wrong. He says Ayatollah Khomeini. He has been dead since 1989. https://t.co/jKG7EIWJ7R
— Farnaz Fassihi (@farnazfassihi) June 24, 2019
After definitively dealing with Khomeini, can’t wait to see how Trump handles Leonid Brezhnev. https://t.co/GdHwGcpJ7q
— Daniel 🌈 Summers (@WFKARS) June 24, 2019
This is extraordinarily inept on the part of the White House. President Trump announces sanctions against Iran's supreme leader, whom he names as Ayatollah Khomeini. But Ayatollah Khomeini died in 1989. (Trump means Ayatollah Ali Khamenei). https://t.co/NPZMclFk7W
— Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) June 25, 2019
Next up: Idi Amin
— Allie Lipner (@alipner87) June 24, 2019
Ayatollah Khomeini reacts to Trump targeting him via sanctions. pic.twitter.com/b7zU7zUXVl
— Diamanda Hagan (@Diamandahagan) June 24, 2019
BREAKING: Iran levies crippling sanctions against President Lyndon B. Johnson
— Judicious Adams (@jdarnbro) June 25, 2019
This is catastrophic news for Ayatollah Khomeini.
— Angry Staffer (@AngrierWHStaff) June 24, 2019
If he hadn’t been dead since 1989. https://t.co/e4K7FUUnCs
Somewhere in Hell, the Ayatollah Khomeini is outraged at Trump; but he’ll tell him when he sees him.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) June 25, 2019
In other news Trump sanctioned Ayatollah Khomeini today who has been dead since 1989. I think Frederick Douglass told him to do it. https://t.co/jR8Bhjktvl
— Amy Siskind 🏳️🌈 (@Amy_Siskind) June 25, 2019
Crackerjack job, champ. Ayatollah Khomeini has been dead for 30 years. Good luck sanctioning his corpse.
— Stephen Schwartz (@AtomicAnalyst) June 24, 2019
Hopefully the sanctions will convince the Ayatollah Khomeini to release our hostages from the American Embassy. 🤣 https://t.co/xEbLjj1fBp
— Kevin M. Levin (@KevinLevin) June 24, 2019
Really excited that my Ayatollah Khomeini shirt is relevant again! #Iran pic.twitter.com/bmiTRyUO41
— The Matt Entin (@themattentin) June 24, 2019
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