US President Donald Trump was forced on the defensive after an online backlash against him for talking about a non-existent terror attack in Sweden to justify his immigration policies.
Trump scrambled to explain via a tweet that he was citing a Fox News report when making reference to a security incident in Sweden during a rally in Florida, one day after causing an online stir and being asked by the Swedish embassy in Washington for an explanation.
Screenshot of Donald Trump's Twitter account
The President had addressed supporters during a rally in Florida on Saturday that “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,” Trump added.
Donald Trump in a rally in Florida on Friday
With no incident of any note taking place in the country on Friday, the Swedish Embassy in Washington made an immediate demand that the US State Department offer an explanation of Trump’s comments suggesting there had been some kind of attack, according to Swedish news agency TT.
The embassy also offered to teach President Trump’s administration about the country’s immigration policies by retweeting him.
Screenshot of Embassy of Sweden in the US' Twitter account
In addition to the president’s clarification on Twitter, the White House spokesperson Sara Huckabee Sanders on Sunday responded separately that Trump had been talking about “rising crime and recent incidents in general, not referring to a specific issue.”
The US president made the remark as he pointed to the incidents in Europe as rationale for his executive order on immigration and refugees during a campaign-style rally addressing his supporters at Orlando-Melbourne International Airport.
The issue has also left Swedes quickly dispelling rumors that an attack had happened in their country.
The hashtag #LastNightInSweden soon started trending as one of the most popular online topics on social media platform Twitter, forming a wave of ridiculing the groundless comments by Donald Trump.
Screenshot of Twitter user's post on #lastnightinSweden
Screenshot of Twitter user's post on #lastnightinSweden
The former first daughter Chelsea Clinton was among those who got in on the mockery.
Screenshot of Chelsea Clinton's Twitter account
Trump has been widely criticized for making assertions with little or no supporting evidence.
Earlier in January, the US president called for a major investigation into his claims of widespread voter fraud. The calls were later declined by his own lawyers as they said there was no evidence that such fraud exists in the US.
