‘Remember that?’ Trump again asks Americans to recall something that never happened
Trump Again Asks Americans to Remember a TV Blackout That Never Happened
Earthguardiansonline.com – Remember that Trump again asks Americans to recall a dramatic television blackout supposedly caused by wind energy. During a Thursday address at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, President Donald Trump invited the public to remember a fictional event from two years prior. The president—who has built a reputation for sharing fabricated anecdotes—was asking citizens to remember something entirely invented. This particular fabrication centered on wind power and its supposed inability to keep televisions running.
The Persistent Wind Energy Misconception
For many years, Trump has criticized wind energy, attempted to block its expansion, and made numerous inaccurate statements about it. One of his most enduring claims involves a fictional scenario in which people living in areas with significant wind power cannot watch television when the wind stops blowing. This narrative ignores basic facts about how electrical grids operate. Wind energy functions as one component within a diverse mix of power sources rather than serving as the sole provider. Consequently, the electrical grid continues functioning normally, and televisions remain operational even during periods of calm weather.
Despite its factual inaccuracy, Trump has repeatedly delivered this no-television story with such comedic flair that it often escapes rigorous fact-checking. During his EPA speech, he presented the tale as though it were a genuine personal memory rather than an embellished invention.
Setting the Record Straight on the Debate
Trump’s version of events included a specific reference to a presidential debate. He criticized what he called “the Green New Scam, where we were scammed,” and then continued:
The whole country was – I wasn’t scammed. I got it right from the beginning; I got it from the first minute when I heard this crap. You know? They were saying wind was so wonderful, so wonderful, except you couldn’t watch your television. They wanted to watch the debate, Donald Trump against Sleepy Joe Biden. Nobody could watch it because the wind wasn’t blowing. Remember that? ‘Darling, we’d like to watch the debate tonight.’ ‘I’m sorry, the wind isn’t blowing.’
Reality tells a different story. According to Nielsen estimates, more than 51 million Americans watched the June 2024 debate between Trump and then-President Joe Biden on television alone. These viewers certainly included residents of Texas, the state that generated by far the most wind-powered electricity in 2024 and continues to lead in this category today. Texas is also a Republican-dominated state and the most populous state that Trump won in the election.
Clarifying the Green New Deal and Energy Statistics
While President Biden did advocate for renewable energy adoption during his time in office and established a target for the United States to achieve 100 percent clean electricity by 2035, Congress never enacted the Green New Deal. Biden also did not sign it into law. The Green New Deal was originally a nonbinding congressional resolution introduced by progressive Democrats that envisioned a ten-year initiative to satisfy all national power requirements through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources.
Federal data indicates that wind energy accounted for approximately 10 percent of net electricity generation across the United States in 2024.
Additional Fabrications at the EPA Event
Trump’s Thursday speech contained other invented claims beyond the wind energy television story. He asserted that California experiences “brownouts and blackouts every weekend,” a statement that contradicts available evidence. He has been making similar false assertions about California’s power grid for years. In response, a spokesperson for Governor Gavin Newsom clarified in a Friday email that “there hasn’t been a rolling blackout in nearly six years in California” and noted that “California’s grid hasn’t had to call for any emergency conservation through the Flex Alert program since 2022, which is proof that the state’s investment in clean energy and battery storage is paying off.”
Furthermore, Trump complained on two separate occasions that he receives “no credit” for the United States allegedly receiving “$19.2 trillion” in investment during his first twelve months back in office. This claim lacks substance because the nation has not actually attracted anywhere near that amount of investment during the current presidential term, let alone within the first year alone. As previous analyses have demonstrated, Trump’s figure represents a fabrication that even White House officials cannot substantiate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the wind energy TV blackout actually happen?
No, the television blackout story Trump frequently tells never occurred. More than 51 million Americans watched the June 2024 presidential debate on television, including viewers in Texas, which generates the most wind energy in the United States. The electrical grid combines multiple power sources, so televisions continued working normally during the debate regardless of wind conditions.
What is the Green New Deal and did Biden sign it?
The Green New Deal was a nonbinding congressional resolution introduced by progressive Democrats, not legislation signed into law by President Biden. While Biden advocated for renewable energy and set a 2035 target for 100 percent clean electricity, Congress never passed the Green New Deal as binding law.
How much wind energy does the United States generate?
Federal data shows that wind energy accounted for approximately 10 percent of net electricity generation across the United States in 2024. Texas leads all states in wind-powered electricity production and continues to hold this position today.
Has California experienced recent blackouts?
According to Governor Gavin Newsom’s spokesperson, California has not experienced a rolling blackout in nearly six years. The state’s grid has not needed to call for emergency conservation through the Flex Alert program since 2022, demonstrating that investments in clean energy and battery storage are effective.
Read the full CNN fact-check on Trump’s wind energy claims
