The mayor of a New Zealand city has rubbished an eyebrow-raising claim made by President Donald Trump during his wild inauguration speech.

A small-town mayor in New Zealand has picked a nuclear fight with Donald Trump after the freshly sworn-in United States president heaped praise on American scientists for splitting the atom. Trump's inauguration address rattled off a list of crowning American feats such as ending slavery,

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said on social media he was "surprised" to hear Trump making claims about the atom in his inauguration speech. "That honour belongs to Nelson's most famous and favourite son Sir Ernest Rutherford. [embed https://www.facebook.com/honnicksmith/posts/pfbid02ndf7Lsz8sizpqQXLgCcRrmE9iAYs7tWmqkYPVFh6LmhUyDGMHuVYMRZixXMv1xfcl

Donald Trump claimed in his inauguration speech that the US was the first to split the atom - despite the fact that Kiwi Ernest Rutherford was the first to

New Zealand is defending one of the most significant accomplishments by one of its people against claims from newly sworn-in United States President Donald Trump that an American was the first to split the atom.

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States of America on January 20, 2025, in Washington.

A staunch Kiwi Donald Trump supporter travelled to America and braved sub-zero temperatures to witness the president’s second inauguration.

A New Zealand mayor has invited the American ambassador for a history lesson, after US President Donald Trump appeared to imply it was the US that split the atom – which it is not alone in and certainly wasn't the first to do. During Trump's inauguration, he listed off a number of achievements by Americans in the past.

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Spain is not the only foreign country left confused by Trump’s first day. During a speech the President vexed New Zealanders after he claimed that America split the atom – a feat achieved by Sir Ernest Rutherford from Nelson in New Zealand.

Dunedin publican Michael McCarrigan, owner of The Duke of Wellington, described the experience as unforgettable. “Standing in a queue for two and a half hours in that weather was rough. But it was a wonderful event.