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Trump claims his uncle invented radar; social media fact checks POTUS on Dr John Trump
President Donald Trump claimed that his uncle invented the radar as he cast his vote in Palm Beach, Florida on October 24.
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President Donald Trump was fact-checked on social media after he claimed his uncle invented the radar. Trump made his comments on October 24 during early voting for the 2026 midterms in Palm Beach, Florida.
With wife Melania at his side, Trump said “My uncle invented radar! Can you believe it?,” adding “He’ll probably be angry that I knocked out their [Iran's] radar.” The video of Trump's speech, giving an update on the US conflict with Iran, was shared widely online.
During the video, Trump named his uncle John Trump adding that he's from MIT. However, the president was quickly fact-checked on social media as many pointed out that John Trump had not, in fact, invented the radar.
Trump fact checked as he claims uncle invented radar
A community note on X noted “Trump's uncle John G. Trump contributed to WWII radar development and deployment at MIT's Rad Lab but did not invent it. Radar originated earlier via work by scientists including Heinrich Hertz, Christian Hülsmeyer and Robert Watson-Watt.”
A podcast host further added “Radar was invented by Scottish physicist Sir Robert Watson-Watt in 1935.”
Notably, Trump has brought up his uncle John G Trump in the past as well. He spoke of him during a 2024 New Hampshire rally when he was running for president. Prior to this, Trump reportedly mentioned uncle John in interviews, speeches and debates, as per a 2016 New Yorker article.
Who is John G Trump?
Dr John Trump was a professor of engineering as well as a renowned physicist specializing in high-voltage phenomena, electron acceleration and radiation. He designed X-ray generators for cancer therapy and co-founded a company which made generators for nuclear research.
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During World War Two, he was involved in radar research for the Allies. The FBI entrusted him to examine the papers and equipment of Nikola Tesla, the legendary inventor, after his death in 1943.
Dr John Trump passed away in 1985. In June this year, MIT put out a post about Dr John Trump, recognizing him as the ‘president’s uncle'.
“A newspaper essay about the president’s uncle, MIT Prof. John G. Trump, tells the extraordinary history of his role in D-Day. But there is much more to the story. We’d like to share more about Prof. J.G. Trump as we knew him—a scientist, engineer, educator, entrepreneur, patriot, and MIT legend whose work still impacts us all today,” they wrote on X.
President Trump, during his first term in office, has brought up his uncle’s knowledge of nuclear physics to justify his views on nuclear issues, such as the Iran deal and North Korea,.
