On April 15, 2019, the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire during a restoration effort. Its spire, originally built in the 13th century and recreated in the 19th century, toppled through the roof. The cathedral, a national icon, is visited by 12 million people annually.

Echoing similarly imprudent suggestions like nuking hurricanes, raking leaves to prevent forest fires, and using light and disinfectant to combat COVID-19, Trump proposed dropping tankers of water to douse the fire.

In response, the French national civil security force explained that such an action could destroy the entire cathedral.

In later remarks, Trump lamented the damage with sincerity:

It’s one of the great treasures of the world…That is a part of our growing up, it’s a part of our culture, it’s a part of our lives. That’s a truly great cathedral. I’ve been there and I’ve seen it, and there’s no cathedral, I think I can probably say there’s no cathedral in the world like it. It’s a terrible scene.

French President Macron called for the restoration of the cathedral to be completed within five years, though efforts were halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns linger about the remaining structure’s integrity.

NBC News – Notre Dame fire: What was damaged
Politico – Trump suggests deploying flying water tankers for ‘horrible’ fire at Notre Dame Cathedral
Los Angeles Times – Trump tweets advice for saving Notre Dame; Paris fire officials say it’s a terrible idea
Wikipedia – Spire of Notre-Dame de Paris
Wikipedia – Notre-Dame de Paris