During a Fourth of July celebration, President Donald Trump presented several historic American flags on stage with him. Among these was a flag dating back to 1777, featuring the original 13 stars and 13 stripes representing the nascent United States.
"There it is. This was the flag that flew victorious at Saratoga, and these are the real deals," Trump stated, pointing to the banner. He further described it as having flown triumphant when the British surrendered at Yorktown.
Trump also introduced the grandchildren of the Wild West figure Buffalo Bill Cody, noting that they stood alongside "one of the first American flags ever to fly over our expanding nation." He added that this flag was carried west around the time Lewis and Clark began their journey in 1803.
Another flag presented was described as having flown over the Brooklyn Bridge, which Trump called "one of the greatest architectural feats of all time." Additionally, a banner that topped a flagship after the U.S. Navy's victory in Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War was displayed. In his remarks, Trump drew a parallel between this historical naval victory and a recent, unverified claim about sinking the Iranian Navy.