Trump says remark about Sweden referred to something on TV
Matti Huuhtanen, Associated Press
Updated 12:56 am, Monday, February 20, 2017
HELSINKI (AP) — Swedes have been scratching their heads and ridiculing President Donald Trump's remarks that suggested a major incident had happened in the Scandinavian country. The American president now says he was referring to something he saw on television.
During a rally in Florida on Saturday, Trump said "look what's happening last night in Sweden" as he alluded to past terror attacks in Europe. It wasn't clear what he was referring to and there were no high-profile situations reported in Sweden on Friday night.
The comment prompted a barrage of social media reaction on Sunday, with hundreds of tweets, and a local newspaper published a list of events that happened on Friday that appeared to have no connections to any terror-like activity.
On Sunday, Trump took to Twitter to explain: "My statement as to what's happening in Sweden was in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden." A White House spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, says that Trump was talking about rising crime and recent incidents in general, not referring to a specific issue.
The president may be referring to a segment aired Friday night on the Fox News Channel show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that reported Sweden had accepted more than 160,000 asylum-seekers last year but that only 500 of the migrants had found jobs in Sweden. The report, which was illustrated with video of broken windows and fires, went on to say that a surge in gun violence and rape had followed the influx of immigrants.
President Donald Trump smiles as he prepares to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
President Donald Trump smiles as he prepares to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Photo: Susan Walsh
President Donald Trump, second from right, and first lady Melania Trump, third from left, wave to the crowd following the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
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President Donald Trump, second from right, and first lady Melania Trump, third from left, wave to the crowd following the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in
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Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive to speak at his "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for the "Make America Great Again Rally" at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport in Melbourne, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017.
Photo: Susan Walsh, AP
Click through to see previous Trump Today items and updates on the president's actions so far.
Click through to see previous Trump Today items and updates on the president's actions so far.
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Photo: Olivier Douliery, MBR
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Photo: Charles Krupa, Associated Press
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Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press
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Photo: AL DRAGO, NYT
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Photo: Pool, Getty Images
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Kevin Harrington, a longtime associate of Trump adviser Peter Thiel, has been appointed to a senior staff position at the National Security Council, the White House announced.
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Photo: Albin Lohr-Jones, Bloomberg
FEB. 2, 2017: President trashes Schwarzenegger’s TV ratings
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The “Terminator” star quickly shot back by suggesting that he and Trump switch jobs “so people can finally sleep comfortably again.”
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Photo: Jordan Strauss, Associated Press
FEB. 1, 2017: California Senators vote against Tillerson confirmation
Former Exxon Mobil chief executive Rex Tillerson has been confirmed as Secretary of State by a 56-43 vote, with both of California’s senators opposing the move.
Shortly after the confirmation, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., tweeted that she voted against Tillerson.
Tillerson has no formal diplomatic experience, and was seen as a widely controversial pick for the position.
“I voted against Rex Tillerson's nomination. We need a Secretary of State who will put America's national security first,” she wrote.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., also voted against his confirmation, according to a spokesman. She had strongly opposed Tillerson’s nomination, saying Exxon has a history of “undermining American policy.”
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Photo: Cliff Owen, Associated Press
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California Democratic senators met with Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder Jr. during an
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Photo: Jose Luis Magana, Associated Press
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Yates was canned after she refused to defend Trump’s executive order temporarily banning citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries and all refugees from entering the United States.
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Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta, Associated Press
FEB. 1: 2017: Travel ban? Depends on what the meaning of ‘ban’ is
President Trump rolled back some of terms of his quickly written order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries — including banning residents with green cards. After calling the order a ban for several days, both Trump and White House press secretary Sean Spicer on Tuesday began insisting the order was actually not a ban. Trump seems to have abandoned what had essentially turned into a semantic dispute.
“Everybody is arguing whether or not it is a BAN,” Trump tweeted. “Call it what you want, it is about keeping bad people (with bad intentions) out of the country!”
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FEB. 1: 2017: Travel ban? Depends on what the meaning of ‘ban’ is
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Photo: Evan Vucci, STF
FEB. 1, 2017: Trump praises ‘amazing job’ by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass, who has been dead for 121 years, is an “example of someone who’s done an amazing job,” according to comments by President Trump.
It was not immediately known if Trump believed that Douglass, the great 19th century abolitionist, was still alive. But several people listening to the president’s comment thought so.
In rambling remarks during a ceremony in Washington to kick off Black History Month, Trump said: “I am very proud now that we have a museum on the National Mall where people can learn about Reverend King, so many other things, Frederick Douglass is an example of somebody who’s done an amazing job and is getting recognized more and more, I notice. Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and millions more black Americans who made America what it is today. Big impact.”
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FEB. 1, 2017: Trump praises ‘amazing job’ by Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass, who has been dead for 121 years, is an “example of someone who’s done an amazing job,” according to comments by
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Photo: File Photo, ST
Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump has said some eye-opening things during his presidential run and the years leading up to it. Here's a look back at some of the most noteworthy conspiracy theories he's promoted.
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Republican U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump has said some eye-opening things during his presidential run and the years leading up to it. Here's a look back at some of the most noteworthy conspiracy
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Photo: DOUG MILLS, STF
1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's father played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
In May 2016, Donald Trump told Fox News that he believes Sen. Ted Cruz' father, Rafael Cruz, could be linked to the assassination of
President John F. Kennedy. Trump cited an April 2016 National Enquirer story that claimed Rafael appeared in a 1963 photo in New Orleans with Lee Harvey Oswald, the suspected shooter of JFK.
The younger Cruz denied that his father had any role in the assassination and called out Trump for being dishonest. Trump brought the theory up again in the days following the GOP convention.
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1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's father played a role in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
In May 2016, Donald Trump told Fox News that he believes Sen. Ted Cruz' father, Rafael Cruz, could be linked to the
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Photo: Paul Sancya, STF
2. President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists
Following the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Donald trump appeared on
NBC's "Today" show and said of President Barack Obama, "There are a lot of people that think maybe he doesn't want to get it. A lot of people think maybe he doesn't want to know about it. I happen to think he just doesn't know what he's doing, but there are many people that think maybe he doesn't want to get it."
Many interpreted the comments as Trump believing Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists.
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2. President Barack Obama sympathizes with Islamic terrorists
Following the shooting at the Pulse Night Club in Orlando, Donald trump appeared on
NBC's "Today" show and said of President Barack Obama, "There are
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Photo: Nam Y. Huh, STF
3. Muslims celebrated 9/11 in New Jersey
Donald Trump once claimed that he saw "thousands of people" celebrating in New Jersey after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. This claim has
been disproven by several media outlets.
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3. Muslims celebrated 9/11 in New Jersey
Donald Trump once claimed that he saw "thousands of people" celebrating in New Jersey after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11. This claim has
been disproven by several
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
4. Syrian refugees have no background checks and it's impossible to tell if they're terrorists
Donald Trump claimed that there are too many Syrian refugees coming into the United States and that "We don't know who they are. They have no documentation and we don't know what they're planning," according
to NPR.
NPR reports refugees "go through more security checks than any other traveler to the U.S.," dispelling another one of Trump's theories.
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4. Syrian refugees have no background checks and it's impossible to tell if they're terrorists
Donald Trump claimed that there are too many Syrian refugees coming into the United States and that "We don't know
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
5. President Barack Obama wasn't born in America
Donald Trump had serious doubts that President Barack Obama was actually born in America and eligible to be president. Trump publicized the theory so much that he became the forerunner of a new movement, called "
The Birthers." Trump insisted that Obama was born in Kenya so much that the president released
his birth certificate in order to squash any suspicion.
In September 2016, Trump reversed his position, saying, "President Barack Obama was born in the United States. Period."
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5. President Barack Obama wasn't born in America
Donald Trump had serious doubts that President Barack Obama was actually born in America and eligible to be president. Trump publicized the theory so much that he
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
6. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have been murdered
While appearing on talk show host Mike Savage's program in February 2016, the topic of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death was discussed.
When asked if he believed Scalia was murdered, Trump responded, "They say they found a pillow on his face, which is a pretty unusual place to find a pillow. I can't tell you - I can't give you an answer," according to
The Hill.
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6. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia may have been murdered
While appearing on talk show host Mike Savage's program in February 2016, the topic of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death was
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Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, STF
7. Minorities commit the bulk of crimes against whites, according to the "Crime Statistics Bureau."
In November of 2015, Donald Trump tweeted that crime statistics show blacks are responsible for 81 percent of white homicide deaths. But as
Politifact pointed out, Trump quoted numbers from the "Crime Statistics Bureau," which doesn't exist. Politifact found Trump's numbers were about double the numbers they used from the FBI and U.S. Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics.
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7. Minorities commit the bulk of crimes against whites, according to the "Crime Statistics Bureau."
In November of 2015, Donald Trump tweeted that crime statistics show blacks are responsible for 81 percent of
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Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, Staff
8. Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists
When Donald Trump
announced he was going to run for president, he began his speech by declaring most Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug addicts. There has been little to no evidence that Trump's claims are true.
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8. Mexican immigrants are criminals and rapists
When Donald Trump
announced he was going to run for president, he began his speech by declaring most Mexican immigrants are rapists and drug addicts. There has
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Photo: Keith Srakocic, STF
9. Climate change doesn't exist
On Nov. 6, 2012,
Donald Trump tweeted "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
9. Climate change doesn't exist
On Nov. 6, 2012,
Donald Trump tweeted "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
Photo: Donald Trump Twitter
10. The U.S. unemployment rate is manipulated to make Obama look good
Donald Trump told Time magazine in August 2015 that the real unemployment rate for America is 42 percent. Trump believes the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics manipulates the unemployment rate to make President Barack Obama and his administration look good. But as a former BLS commissioner points out, it would take more
than 1,000 people to manipulate the unemployment rate in anyone's favor.
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10. The U.S. unemployment rate is manipulated to make Obama look good
Donald Trump told Time magazine in August 2015 that the real unemployment rate for America is 42 percent. Trump believes the U.S. Bureau of
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Photo: JIM WATSON, Staff
11. Vaccines cause autism
Although there have been no conclusive links that vaccines lead to autism, that hasn't stopped Donald Trump from pushing the theory.
READ MORE: Trump: Make America conspiratorial
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Photo: Donald Trump Via Twitter
12. Google is censoring the news
Donald Trump claims Google is censoring negative news about Hillary Clinton from web searches. Google executives deny this, saying the company is neutral and will remain that way.
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12. Google is censoring the news
Donald Trump claims Google is censoring negative news about Hillary Clinton from web searches. Google executives deny this, saying the company is neutral and will remain that
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Photo: Matthew Busch, Getty Images | Google
13. Trump got a bad microphone in the first debate with Hillary Clinton
Republican nominee Donald Trump claims his performance against Hillary Clinton in their first one-on-one debate, Sept. 26, 2016, was caused by a bad microphone and that it may have been deliberately tampered with. Despite that, Trump claims he won the debate. Debate watchers have disagreed with that assessment.
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13. Trump got a bad microphone in the first debate with Hillary Clinton
Republican nominee Donald Trump claims his performance against Hillary Clinton in their first one-on-one debate, Sept. 26, 2016, was caused
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Photo: JEWEL SAMAD, AFP/Getty Images
14. Despite winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump claims the vote was riggedDonald Trump won the electoral college, but lost the popular vote by nearly 2.5 million votes. But, after seeing a tweet from a Houston activist, Trump picked up on the unsubstantiated claim that millions of people voted illegally. Neither Trump nor the activist offered any proof to back the allegation.
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14. Despite winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump claims the vote was rigged
Donald Trump won the electoral college, but lost the popular vote by nearly 2.5 million votes. But, after seeing a tweet
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Photo: Twitter
Trump says remark about Sweden referred to something on TV
Reacting to Trump's original remarks, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Catarina Axelsson said that the government wasn't aware of any "terror-linked major incidents." Sweden's Security Police said it had no reason to change the terror threat level.
"Nothing has occurred which would cause us to raise that level," agency spokesman Karl Melin said.
Former Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt tweeted , "Sweden? Terror attack? What has he been smoking? Questions abound."
Addressing Trump in an article on Sunday, the Aftonbladet tabloid wrote, "This happened in Sweden Friday night, Mr President," and then listed in English some events that included a man being treated for severe burns, an avalanche warning and police chasing a drunken driver.
One Twitter user said, "After the terrible events #lastnightinSweden, IKEA have sold out of this" and posted a mock Ikea instruction manual on how to build a "Border Wall."
Sweden, which has a long reputation for welcoming refugees and migrants, had a record 163,000 asylum applications in 2015. The country has since cut back on the number it annually accepts.
Its most recent attack linked to extremism happened in the capital, Stockholm, in December 2010. An Iraqi-born Swede detonated two explosive devices, including one that killed him but no one else.
In the month he has been president, Trump's remarks and those of his staff have fueled numerous news media "fact checks" pointing out inaccuracies and falsehoods. On the subject of terrorism, Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway referred to a "Bowling Green Massacre" that never occurred.
Former foreign minister Bildt told Swedish Radio after his initial confounded tweet Sunday that he sees danger in how Trump relates to facts.
"If we are in a situation where there is tension in the world, we stand between war and peace," he said. "If we then have a president who spreads lots of false rumors, it can be truly dangerous."
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Associated Press writer Douglass K. Daniel in Washington contributed to this report.