Trump criticizes George Washington for not better naming Mt. Vernon

During a visit to the home of America's first president, a visit that's being called "truly bizarre," President Donald Trump had some criticism for George Washington. He also revealed what could be embarrassing details about his knowledge of U.S. history.

When he left the White House in Washington, D.C. last April with French President Emmanuel Macron to visit George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, Trump flew past the Washington Monument, over the George Washington Parkway and beside the George Washington Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. And yet, once on the grounds of Washington's home, Trump apparently told the people around him, "If he was smart, he would've put his name on it... You've got to put your name on stuff, or no one remembers you."

That's according to a stunning new story in Politico, which cites several sources briefed on Trump's comments. "It does tell you where the president's head is at. This guy wants to stamp his name and likeness on everything, and he thinks Washington missed a chance to do that," said Michael D'Antonio, author of "The Truth About Trump."

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Politico describes Trump as being bored during that 45-minute tour, disinterested in learning about Washington and Mount Vernon, that it was a challenge for Mount Vernon's CEO and tour guide, who described the evening as "truly bizarre." The guide, according to Politico, also told others something embarrassing. "The CEO, Doug Bradburn, told people after that the Macrons knew much more about the history of the residence and American history than the Trumps," said Daniel Lippman, a reporter for Politico.

The thing that got Trump most excited, according to Politico, was when he was told how rich Washington was. But Trump criticized the estate, Politico says, saying the rooms were too small, the staircases too narrow, the floors uneven and apparently ignoring the fact that the house was first built in 1734 and expanded in 1758. "This is just par for the course with Donald Trump. And speaking of par for the course, I think he probably feels Washington missed an opportunity to build a golf course at the property, because that would have certainly enhanced the real estate values," said D'Antonio.

Trump often seems astonished by history. Often he tells crowds that they should be surprised by basic stories from America's past. For example, this comment made recently by the president: "A lot of people don't realize that Abraham Lincoln, the great Abraham Lincoln, was a Republican." At one point, Trump even suggested Americans were only just now learning about Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became a famous abolitionist leader. "Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who has done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more, I notice," said Trump.

At his golf course in northern Virginia, Trump even has a memorial to a Civil War battle that historians say never happened.

Unlike his predecessors, Trump isn't known for reading histories of other presidents, something historians like Allan Lichtman say is worrisome: "Many other presidents have made a point of reading books about their predecessors and learning from their predecessors. And learning doesn't mean you have to blindly follow what your predecessors have done. You could, like Donald Trump, believe in shaking up the status quo. But you should do it from a position of knowledge."

CNN