'What are you on about?': Baffled Sweden mocks Trump and demands an explanation after he falsely said a terror attack had occurred in the country to drum up support for his travel ban
- Donald Trump sent out a tweet confirming he was referring to a Fox News report
- The Swedish embassy asked the US State Department for an explanation of Trump's comments about an alleged security incident in Sweden
- The White House responded saying Trump was referring to 'rising crime and recent incidents, in general
- Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom apparently responded by tweeting an excerpt of her speech in parliament last week on Sweden's foreign policy
- Trump made reference to a terror attack in Sweden that never happened
- During his campaign-style rally last night he made point of an incident that supposedly occurred the previous night
- Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt sent out a tweet disproving Trump's remark
- The president's remarks were ridiculed on social media by Chelsea Clinton
- There are suggestions that perhaps Trump was referring to an interview between Tucker Carlson and Ami Horowitz about crime rates in Sweden
The Swedish embassy in Washington has asked the U.S. State Department for an explanation of a Trump's comments suggesting there been some sort of attack in Sweden on Friday.
During his Florida rally last night, the president made reference to a security incident in Sweden that apparently occurred on the previous night, leaving many Swedes baffled.
The White House has responded saying Trump was referring to 'rising crime and recent incidents, in general,' and not 'a specific incident' in Sweden, according to ABC.
President Trump sent a tweet on Sunday confirming he was referring to a Fox News report.
'My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on concerning immigrants & Sweden,' Trump said.
On Saturday the president addressed supporters at his rally saying: 'You look at what's happening in Germany, you look at what's happening last night in Sweden,' he said.
'Sweden. Who would believe this? Sweden,' he added. 'They took in large numbers. They're having problems like they never thought possible.'
President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the AeroMod International hangar at Orlando Melbourne International Airport on February 18, 2017
Donald Trump tweeted confirming he was referring to the Fox News report
'We have asked the question today to the state department. We are trying to get clarity,' said Swedish foreign ministry spokeswoman Catarina Axelsson.
Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom apparently responded on Twitter with the remark 'owing to certain circumstances', followed by a passage from her speech in parliament last week on Sweden's foreign policy.
The excerpt said: 'In 2016, 'post-truth' was named Word of the Year by Oxford Dictionaries. Both functioning democracy and constructive cooperation between states require us to speak with, and not about, each other, to honour agreements and to allow ideas to compete. They also require us to respect science, facts and the media, and to acknowledge each other´s wisdom.'
Trump's remarks came as he vowed to protect the US borders while addressing supporters at his campaign-style rally in an aircraft hangar at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport.
But social media users were left puzzled after the president's comments, including Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt, who quickly pointed out there was no such attack.
'Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound,' Bildt said in a tweet. It has since been liked 17,000 times.
Catarina Axelsson, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told The Associated Press that 'the government wasn't aware of any 'terror-linked major incidents.'
Sweden's Security Police also said it had no reason to change the terror threat level.
Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt sent out a tweet questioning Trump's remark
Trump alluded to an apparent nonexistent attack on Sweden as he addressed supporters during a campaign-style rally in Orlando-Melbourne International Airport on Saturday
Trump went on to allude to previous attacks in Europe.
'You look at what's happening in Brussels. You look at what's happening all over the world,' he said. 'Take a look at Nice. Take a look at Paris,' he said as he promised to keep the 'country safe.'
Trump's remarks were quickly ridiculed by Twitter users including Chelsea Clinton.
'What happened in Sweden Friday night? Did they catch the Bowling Green Massacre perpetrators?' she said while also mocking Kellyanne Conway's interview gaff last month.
The former first daughter had previously slammed the president's adviser after Conway referred to the nonexistent massacre.
A Swedish librarian, who was using Sweden's official Twitter account sent out a tweet saying: 'No. Nothing has happened here in Sweden. There has not [been] any terrorist attacks here. At all. The main news right now is about Melfest.'
The woman suggested Trump's remark was likely to have been based on a Fox News interview between host Tucker Carlson and documentary filmmaker Ami Horowitz which aired the night before.
Horowitz spoke about his recent film which explores the seemingly increasing crime rates in Sweden as a result of the country's open-door policy.
Trump's remarks were quickly ridiculed by Twitter users including Chelsea Clinton, who previously slammed Kellyanne Conway after making up the 'Bowling Green Massacre' last month
Thousands of people listen as President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the AeroMod International hangar at Orlando Melbourne International Airport
A Swedish librarian, who was using Sweden's official Twitter account sent out a tweet debunking Trump's comments
The country has let in 200,000 refugees as migrants fled their war-torn countries during the summer in 2015, Huffington Post reported.
This would be the third time the Trump Administration has been accused of referencing to fictitious terror attacks. Senior adviser Kellyanne Conway infamously made note of the nonexistent 'Bowling Green Massacre' during an interview with Chris Matthews last month.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer referred to an 'Atlanta attack' earlier this month, but later corrected himself saying he had meant to say Orlando.
Twitter users were quick to mock Trump's comments, tweeting a manual on how to build a border wall from popular Swedish furniture store IKEA
- Donald Trump Appears To Make Up Sweden Terror Attack | The Huffington Post
- Sweden asks US to clarify Trump's comments on Sweden incident | TheHill
- Swedes scratch heads at Trump's suggestion of major incident | Daily Mail Online
- ABC News Politics on Twitter: "LATEST: Pres. Trump was speaking of "rising crime and recent incidents, in general," not "a specific incident" in Sweden, White House says."
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