Donald Trump has come under fire for calling California’s wildfire-hit town Paradise the wrong name labelling it “Pleasure”.
At the weekend, the US president was visiting the mountain town to see the damage caused by the state’s deadliest ever wildfire.
Some 1,276 people are missing, while 76 have been confirmed dead.
But Mr Trump twice called Paradise “Pleasure” and even marvelled: “What a name.” He had to be corrected by a bystander.
He said: “If you’re watching from New York or if you’re watching from Washington DC, you don’t really see the gravity of it.
“As big as they look on the tube, you don’t see what’s going on until you come here.
“And at what we saw at Pleasure – what a name – right now, but what we just saw, we just left Pleasure…”
The bystander then interrupted: “Paradise.”
Mr Trump then corrected himself. “Paradise. What we just saw at Paradise it’s just, er, you know, it’s just not acceptable.”
Comedian Dana Goldberg tweeted: “Proving once again that Trump just flew to California for a photo op, he calls the town that was completely destroyed the wrong name TWICE. It’s not ‘Pleasure’, it’s ‘Paradise.’ 76 dead, almost 1300 missing and over 2,600 are homeless. Learn the damn name, Trump.
Adam Smith posted: “Right.... I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt..... however, Donald Trump has proved once more he is a complete clown!! Nearly 80 dead and many 100s missing in Paradise and he calls it Pleasure !! Is he for real??”
Another Twitter user said: “My co-worker grew up in Paradise. He went to high school there; it is now burned down. He told me about Trump calling Paradise “Pleasure.” He said hearing his hometown, that is gone, being called by the wrong name “really p***** me off. I‘m offended. Really offended.”
Authorities continued to sift through the wreckage of the wildfire on Monday.
Rain is forecast for the area this week, potentially helping douse the flames – but raising the risk of floods and mudslides and possibly adding to the misery of 46,000 people under evacuation orders.
