Nick Smith: Nelson mayor hits back after Donald Trump claimed US split the atom

Nelson's mayor is using a false claim from the new US President in his inaugural address to promote the city.

Trump's list of Americans' claims to greatness included splitting the atom, which was achieved by Kiwi Sir Ernest Rutherford in 1917.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith's inviting the US Ambassador to visit the memorial to Rutherford.

He says he wants to celebrate his heritage.

"It was extraordinary that a small boy that grew up in a little place called Brightwater, Foxhill and Havelock who went to Nelson College went on to make some of the most amazing scientific discoveries."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the great split the atom controversy. Everyone's clearing that
Trump said that they split the atom. Phil has texted
me already and said Trump never said they were first
to split the atom, only that they did split one.
Others say they did split them in the nuclear bomb.
So what did Donald Trump say about splitting the atoms?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Americans pushed thousands of miles through a rugged land of
untamed wilderness. They crossed desert, scared mountains, braved untold dangers,
won the wild West, ended slavery, rescued millions from tyranny,
lifted billions from poverty, harnessed electricity, split the atom.

Speaker 1 (00:41):
So this caused a controversy, so much so that Nick
Smith was upset about it. And Nick Smith joins me, now,
the mayor of Nelson, how are you.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
Nick, oh box of the It's good to join your programme.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
He just said Americans split the atom. They have split
the atom. They didn't. He didn't say we were the
first to split the atom. So why are we getting
our nickers in a knot?

Speaker 3 (00:59):
I think splitting he is. If you read the statement
from Donald Trump in context, that was clear of the
implication was that they were the first to split the atom,
and that is incorrect. There is lots of fantastic things
that the United States of America has achieved, but they
don't need to ex appropriate the achievements of Lord Rutherford

(01:25):
of Nelson, where the historic record is very clear that
he was the first in nineteen seventeen to artificially trigger
a nuclear reaction and to split the atom. That scientific
record can't really be questioned. It worries me a little

(01:46):
bit in the sense of America is a great country,
but they don't need to the little the achievements of others,
and the achievement of Ernest Rutherford with that scientific work
as the father of modern physics, should not be undermined
or miss read.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Well, you're a chance around here. You're taking the chances
to promote your town, of.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
Course I am, and to celebrate the heritage. It was
extraordinary that a small boy that grew up in a
little place called Brightwater, Foxhill and Headlock, who went to
Nelson College went on to make some of the most
amazing scientific discoveries in the early in the late nineteenth

(02:26):
and early twentieth century, and that it couldn't be taken away,
and it's inspirational for young New Zealanders that you can
come from a little town in a little country and
make that sort of contribution. And there's just no need
for President Trump to ex appropriate things that other countries
has achieved in setting out his vision for America.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
And look at this. It happened to be local body
election year and here you are standing for mayor of
Nelson and you're happen to be on nationwide radio.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
Indeed, that's my job. My job is to be an
African for Nelson, and I'll take up every optunity to
do that.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
All right, thank you so much, Nick, And I have
to say a lot of people are already commenting that
perhaps we're getting a little bit too worried about nothing.
It's an idiom, as many people have said.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
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