At a rally in Melbourne, Florida, Donald Trump stated that an attack occurred in Sweden on Friday night, and nobody is quite sure what the President is referring to. Trump used this campaign-like speech to defend the work of his administration, most notably the controversial travel ban put in place in January. He discussed the possible threat posed by refugees, citing attacks in France and Belgium. However, he took it one step further by incorrectly adding Sweden to the list of countries affected. This has led to confusion from Swedish officials and a top trend on Twitter.
Donald Trump said what?
Trump told ardent supporters: “We’ve got to keep our country safe. You look at what’s happening in Germany, you look at what’s happening last night in Sweden”
“Sweden, who would believe this? Sweden. They took in large numbers. They’re having problems like they never thought possible. You look at what’s happening in Brussels. You look at what’s happening all over the world. Take a look at Nice. Take a look at Paris.”
Donald Trump's Comments Confuse
It is possible that Donald Trump confused the country of Sweden with the city Sehwan, Pakistan, where more than 85 people were killed in a suicide bombing on Thursday.
Also, Swedish officials are alarmed and are looking for clarification from the United States.
Sweden’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Catarina Axelsson told the Associated Press that the Swedish embassy in Washington contacted the State Department on Sunday to request clarification of Trump’s remarks and was awaiting a response.
Former Swedish Prime Minister, Carl Bildt tweeted “Sweden? Terror Attack? What has he been smoking?
Questions abound.”
The President may have been misguided by a segment on Fox News in which an interview was conducted with Ami Horowitz, a filmmaker whose latest work examines whether high crime rates in areas of Sweden is linked to its previous open-door policy on people fleeing war and persecution.
Donald Trump Ridiculed
Twitter quickly took action in poking fun at Donald Trump's mistake. The hashtag #SwedenIncident quickly rose to the top trend in the United States.
Thoughts are with everyone in Sweden at this difficult time.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) February 19, 2017
