Donald Trump’s ‘powerful armada’ he claimed was steaming towards North Korea was actually heading in the WRONG DIRECTION after embarrassing mix-up
The strike group, headed by the USS Carl Vinson, was actually conducting training drills in Australia when it was supposed to be heading towards the Korean peninsula
THE "armada of warships" Donald Trump has said was "steaming" towards North Korea was actually sailing in the OPPOSITE direction.
A Pentagon official told the "powerful" strike group headed by the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier was actually conducting drills in Australia at the same time as it was claimed to be "sailing north" towards the Korean peninsula.
The official confirmed on Tuesday that Vinson will start heading north over the next 24 hours and won't arrive in the area until the end of the month.
Secretary of Defence James Mattis said on April 11 that the aircraft carrier was "on her way up" to despot Kim Jong-in's secretive North Korea.
And President Trump and Press Secretary Sean Spicer both suggested the fleet was heading towards the troubled peninsula.
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While speaking with the Fox Business Network last week, Trump said: “We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines. Very powerful.
"Far more powerful than the aircraft carrier, that I can tell you.
“And we have the best military people on earth.
A picture released by the US Navy on Tuesday showed the fleet travelling through the Sunda Strait in Indonesia.
The official said: “They are going to start heading north towards the Sea of Japan within next 24 hours”, reports the .
The anonymous source admitted Trump’s so-called armada would not arrive in the region by next week as it begins the long journey.
Chinese media wasted no time in poking fun at the Trump administration, reports .
The news comes after dictator Kim launched a ballistic missile which flopped spectacularly amid rising tensions in the region.
But the North Korean leader did not seem to dwell on the launch's failure as he put on a Broadway-style musical showing an American city being destroyed by nukes.
A symphony orchestra played as one of Kim’s missiles hurtled into the US and revealed a smouldering Stars and Stripes flag.
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